The Dark Knight's Friend
by Sarah Chante
Summary: My name's Sarah Chante. I'm 13 years old and I live in Gotham City with my godfather, Bruce Wayne, who spends his nights as Batman...This is my side of the story where the Joker started his reign of anarchy over my world...*Sequel to Friend of the Knight*
1. A Strange Beginning

**__**

Disclaimer:

I don't own "The Dark Knight"

* * *

_**I lost my family a few weeks ago.**_

_**It wasn't supposed to be like this.**_

_**This was the last thing that my godfather wanted for the City of Gotham.**_

_**No one was supposed to get involved.**_

_**No one was supposed to get hurt.**_

_**No one was supposed to go mad from all the chaos.**_

_**...No one was supposed to die...**_

_**It's amazing how one man, just one man alone, is capable of bringing so much sadness into a world that was just recovering from a life of depression.**_

_**With one word, he could make you shudder in fear.**_

_**With a wave of his hand, he could make you disappear into thin air.**_

_**With just a faint laugh...That laugh...That laugh...That laugh...**_

_**...I hate it when he laughs...There really is no way to describe it, other than it seems to have been brought to life from an innocent child's nightmare. The first time I heard it, he wasn't even there, and yet I still felt like that any moment, I would be killed. But instead, others were killed when I was spared. And as far as I know, there was always a laugh to go with each death. A chilling laugh. A laugh that could haunt you. A laugh that you could hear when you're all alone in a room. A laugh that could break the promise a friend had made.**_

_**A laugh that could kill.**_

_**That's how powerful his laugh was to me. Nevertheless, I tried to help my godfather stop him with all the power that I had. It's been a year since my new life began. Even though it started with two gunshots ending the lives' of my parents', this year had been one of the happiest years of my life.**_

_**Why did it have to end?**_

_**When all the chaos started, my godfather did his best to protect me from this madman who wanted to take over Gotham City. But as more and more people were killed, he never told me, but I saw that he slowly began to realize that no one was safe. Everyone was in danger. Everyone around me was being killed and I was either hearing about it or seeing it.**_

**_I wasn't safe anymore. Not even when my godfather was watching me, even when I didn't know he was._**

_**It's a terrible thing to have a child lose their parents to murderous men. I was devastated when mine were killed. As I watched this particular psychopath take the lives of those I loved so dearly, a different side of me was born. With each victim passing through this...clown's...insanity, I grew more fearful that I would lose my godfather to him.**_

_**You don't understand. My godfather was my best friend and my protector. If he was killed, I don't know where I would go. I would do anything to protect him, as much as he would do anything to protect me.**_

_**I still haven't figured out if that was my downfall. I don't know if that was my weakness: My willingness to keep my godfather's secrets safe with my life. **_

_**It's hard to know because I promised him I wouldn't tell, and I've kept that promise with all the strength I had within me. **_

_**If anything happened to him, it would kill me. Over the past year, a bond of some sort formed between my godfather and I--A friendship that I would cherish forever. He treated me like his own. Like me, his parents died when he was young. In many ways, we were alike. We both endure whatever Gotham has in store for us together, and it's always been that way. Whatever evil there is out there, we face it together. I've never worried about him when he's fighting crime at night and bring the city's criminal's to justice...Until now, that is.**_

_**Look, it's kind of difficult to explain my feelings about all this right now, so I'm gonna take you guys back to the beginning. Everything would make more sense if I do that...hopefully.**_

_**My name is Sarah Chante. I'm 13 years old and I live in Gotham City with my godfather, Bruce Wayne, who spends his nights as the masked vigilante known as the Batman...This is my side of the story where the Joker started his reign of anarchy over my whole world and brought chaos to everyone around me...**_

_**...Welcome to Gotham City...**_

* * *

One late afternoon, Gotham City almost looked peaceful as it did at night...

...But I'm afraid, in this story, looks can be quite deceiving.

Gotham City, and her citizens, all wear masks.

_SMASH!_

In the heart of the city, near the financial district, the window on the fourteenth floor of a skyscraper under construction was smashed to pieces from a silenced automatic pistol. Now this was the strange part. The pistol was fired by a man in a clown mask. In fact, there were two men in clown masks in the empty room. The one who shot the window was given the codename Dopey. His partner was called Happy.

While Happy was loading some equipment into a navy duffel bag, Dopey took another gun. This time, it was a spear gun, which he aimed and shot a spear tied to a line of cable to the rooftop of the Gotham National Bank that stood across from their building. He then secured their end of the cable to a naked I-beam they had screwed in by the broken window.

...Something strange was going on in Gotham City...

* * *

All of us were out of breath. Our hearts were pounding so hard, we thought we were just going to collapse right then and there. Beads of sweat rolled down our heads from working too hard. I had to continue to run for it, or else I would be an easy target if I stopped to take a breath or two so that exhaustion wouldn't overpower me. Everyone was counting on me to pull us through. Half of my team had already been taken out, and we had practically nothing to throw back at the opposing team...

At Gotham City Private, playing Medic Ball in gym class can get a little intense.

* * *

...Something _definitely_ strange was going on in Gotham City...

About three blocks away from where Dopey and Happy were stationed, a man stood at the corner of an intersection. He...had his head down...hiding his face from people who would occasionally pass his way. A dark blue duffel bag was slung over his shoulder...and in his left hand that hung by his side was a clown mask.

Even in a place like Gotham, you do not see this kind of thing everyday.

Suddenly, a van came to a screeching halt in front of this mysterious character's corner. It was a black and white van with black tinted windows and out-of-state licence plates. Quickly, the man donned on his clown mask, giving himself the nickname "Bozo", and climbed in the backseat of the van. As soon as he was in with the other two clowns, Grumpy and Chuckles, the van took off, heading into Gotham City's financial district.

* * *

Blue dodge balls whizzed past my head in a colorful blur as I tried to get some of my team members on a small scooter so I could roll them back to the safety line, where they would be allowed to get back in the game. My friends were all on my team, but one of them, Kayla March, was sitting on the floor waiting for me to get them. Ally Farris, my best friend in the whole world, was the other medic on our team, and she was blocking blue dodge balls with her scooter while I was throwing red dodge balls back at the other team. I helped defend ourselves by putting up my scooter next to hers, and making a shield twice as big to help.

During all the shouts and sounds of dodge balls hitting the walls and my classmates, Ally took a peek at our teammates who were out. After doing that, she turned to me as we blocked the dodge balls with our red, square scooters.

"Whose turn is it to get Kayla?" she asked, loud enough for me to hear her.

"Yours," I replied normally as I ducked out of the way.

Even though I was busy trying not to get caught, Ally stopped what she was doing, let the scooter fall with her arm to her side, and looked at me like I had accused her of something.

"I got her last time!" she complained. "Why do I have to get her again?"

"She's _your_ cousin!" I fought back.

"Yeah, and?"

"Look out!"

It was a good thing I had turned my head to look at her because **_BAM!_**...I was able to catch a blue dodge ball in my hand from hitting Ally on the side of her face. She just stood there, wide-eyed, and amazed at the fact that I was quick enough to catch it as soon as I had yelled my cry of warning to her...Then she grinned. Haley Kingston's face looked like she had gotten a sunburn from a winter vacation in the Bahamas. Ally laughed a bit.

"All right," she gave in. "You win. But you're covering me,"

"But of course," I said in a "duh" tone, a smile spreading on my face.

With that in agreement, Ally and I got on our scooters, and rolled down to the other side of the gym to meet Kayla as fast as we could.

* * *

It was time to get started.

After sending their duffel bags across the zip-line, Dopey and Happy followed close behind, gliding from one building to another in mid-air. If someone were to look up to the sky at that moment, they would find two men in clown masks flying across the air, and think that they were more crazy than the Batman himself. However, no one did. In fact, I don't think anybody did take notice of this strange event taking place.

As soon as Dopey and Happy dropped on top of the graveled rooftop of Gotham National Bank, they headed straight for the security panel.

* * *

Ally and I stopped our scooters by Kayla, taking our agreed assignments. While I used my red scooter to block oncoming blue dodge balls, Ally set hers down by her cousin and kept at a low level so she wouldn't get hit.

"OK, come on Kayla," Ally lightly encouraged.

If you have ever played Medic Ball in your gym class, then you probably know that it's practically common sense for the "victim" to just get on the scooters themselves and help the "medic" get all the way back behind the safety line. The problem is that we were playing Medic Ball in gym class with Kayla.

As you probably have figured out by now, Kayla is Ally's cousin. She came from Chicago to live here in Gotham before school started while her parents were trying to sort out custody rights. It was supposed to be for about a week, but...well...Ally's Mom didn't want Kayla to go back to Chicago. She had noticed that they were taking care of custody rights over everything else before they worried about their daughter. There were other issues too, but that was all Ally and Kayla told me. Surprisingly, this new lifestyle didn't seem to affect Kayla. If anything, she grew. When I first met her, I could tell that she would be an interesting character to our group...And by interesting, I mean totally unpredictable.

When Kayla was told to get on the scooter, she just sat there as if she hadn't heard a word we said. I was a bit preoccupied, but I didn't need anyone to tell me that Ally was rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Kayla!" she groaned.

"Come on, Kayla," I tried to help Ally out. "This isn't funny,"

This time, Kayla looked at us both and smiled brightly.

"Hey guys," she said. "What took you so long?"

* * *

"Three of a kind" Grumpy relaxed a bit as he drove through the busy streets. "Let's do this,"

"That's it?" asked a confused Chuckles while he and Bozo, who sat in the backseat, loaded a few compact sub-machine guns. "_Three_ guys?"

"Two guys on the roof," Grumpy cleared it up, holding up two fingers. "Every guy gets a share. Five shares is plenty,"

"_Six_ shares," Chuckles corrected. "Don't forget the guy who planned the job,"

Though his face was covered by an angry clown mask, Grumpy's tone of voice said the he really was frowning: Obviously, he disapproved of whoever planned this bank heist just standing aside and doing nothing that would help them.

"He thinks he can sit it out and still take a slice," Grumpy scoffed. "I _know_ why they call him the Joker,"

* * *

"So why do they call him the Joker?" Happy asked as he pulled out a few cables and other electronic devices.

"I hear he wears make-up," declared Dopey, gripping the hammer he had in his hand as he stood up.

_SMASH!_

Dopey had broken off the lock of the security panel with the hammer to gain access to its controls.

"Make-up?"

"Yeah, to scare people," Dopey quickly opened the security panel. "You know, war paint,"

* * *

The game was going well at first, but now that Kayla was back in the game with us, things were going great. Somehow, Ally and I had managed to get all of our teammates back too, and so far, none of them were out. The other team, however, did not look satisfied. Probably because Ally and I never threw any of the dodge balls. The only times we even touched them was to catch one that was coming our way. We figured the best way to not get caught and still get some people on the other team out was to just catch and block rather than throw, while leaving very few teammates to throw the dodge balls.

For as long as I've been playing dodge ball at Gotham City Private, my teammates and I have enforced the same strategy, and its never failed us yet.

Meanwhile, our gym teacher, Coach Williams, monitored the game, looking for any signs of bad behavior. In fact, he had happened to look at our opposing team and frowned. Haley Kingston, my, for lack of a better phrase, "sworn enemy", was sitting on the gym floor putting on enormous amounts of lip gloss, smacking her lips as she stared into a pink, glittery compact mirror in intentional concentration.

"Kingston!" he shouted across the gymnasium. "This is your last warning! Put away the make-up and participate in the game!"

Haley was never one to listen to her superiors. She was a spoiled rich girl that always gets what she wants whenever she wants it, and never takes "No" for an answer. It was people like her that gave people in the Fancy World of Gotham, like Ally, Kayla, and I, a bad name. Fortunately, there was some people in this city who knew us better than what Haley says we appear to be. That's all that mattered.

As long as one person on this Earth knows who you truly are and loves you no matter what, life can be an amazing thing for all to see.

Take Kayla for example. I may have known her for a little under a year, but I still know plenty about her. She's open-minded, out-spoken, confident, and brave. There are times when I think she would be some kind of hero in a fantasy life, like Robin Hood, or Peter Pan. They were rebels who went against any wrong-doings, and she kind of fell into that category.

Ally and I haven't decided if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet, but like I said:

We would still love her, no matter what.

When she saw that Haley was ignoring Coach Williams and went on wasting another tube of lip gloss, Kayla cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled across the gymnasium for everyone to hear.

"Hey Kingston!" she shouted with a hint of laughter growing in her voice. "What's all the make-up for? Are you auditioning for the Ringling Brothers Circus or something? You can be the next Happy the Clown!"

Most of the class busted out laughing, like they always did when Kayla said something funny. Normally, I would try to warn Kayla not to say mean stuff to Haley because it makes us sink a little lower than her...But, I'm kind of both ashamed and proud to admit that...

I always end up laughing in the end.

* * *

After pulling up in front of Gotham National Bank, Grumpy, Chuckles, and Bozo jumped out of their truck, masks on, and automatic pistols in hand. Bozo was the only one with a duffel bag as he looked around to make sure people walking around the city were not taking notice of what would soon be a puzzling bank heist to all of Gotham. Grumpy led them into the Bank, running up the steps and into the glass doors.

Gotham National Bank was a beautiful establishment with marble floors and splashes of gold about the lobby. It was more nice than any other common banking service. Unfortunately, its panache appearance turned dark and fearful as soon as Chuckles fired the first warning shots and took out the nearest security guard before he and his fellow criminals could be stopped.

The robbery had begun.

Now, the Bank Manager's Office was just outside the entry way, and the strange criminals happened to have passed by it without glancing or even realizing that the Bank Manager himself was inside. He could even be seen through the glass walls for his clients and bank tellers to see. Upon hearing the gunshots, and the unexpected screams of a frightened female client, the Bank Manager looked up in surprise as he rolled back in his chair away from his desk and papers he had been inspecting, and watched the scene unfold.

Grumpy, Chuckles, and Bozo took action on their assigned jobs. As Chuckles made sure the now helpless security guard didn't try to do anything he would regret, Grumpy started terrorizing the bank tellers and clients.

"All right everybody!" shouted Grumpy. "Hands up! Heads down!"

Some people took cover, ducking underneath the wooden tables that stood in the middle of the lobby. Others cowered to the ground, against the counters. They were all huddled in fear, some hugging their knees to a chest like a child would do in need to comfort oneself.

Cowering. Huddling. Screaming.

It was all they could do as Bozo sat the duffel bag on top of one of the wooden tables.

"I said hands up, heads down!" Grumpy threatened once more, running up to the counter and grabbing a bank teller by the collar. "Let's go, pal! I'm making a withdrawal here!"

"Wait!" protested the male bank teller. "Whoa! Whoa!"

Grumpy pulled the man roughly over the counter by the collar, and let him fall to the hard floor. His co-worker, a female bank teller, watched this fearfully as she discreetly pressed the red button underneath her work station, setting off a silent alarm. But when she looked up, she slightly jumped in surprise, and put both of her hands back up in the air when Grumpy stalked over to her.

"No!" she tried to stop him from grabbing at her.

* * *

"Here comes the silent alarm...," Dopey announced as a beeping sound came from a tracking device he was using that was connected to the access panel.

Happy said nothing as he stood behind him, pulling something out of his jacket pocket. Then the beeping sound came to a stop.

"...And there it goes,"

* * *

By the time Grumpy had reached the female bank teller, Bozo had finished unzipping the duffel bag revealing about a dozen hand grenades. He swung the strap over his shoulder again, and quickly walked among the clients-turned-hostages who were trying to hide.

"All right, tootsie!" Grumpy fiercely gripped the female bank teller's arm. "You're taking a dive with me!"

"No!" screamed the poor woman. "No!"

Like her co-worker before her, the woman was pulled over the counter as well, knocking a desk lamp that hung over the edge of the counter by its cord, swinging back and forth a little. When she was on the ground with the other hostages, Grumpy pointed his gun at her when she tried to get up.

While all this was happening, Bozo had just started putting grenades into the hostages hands and ripping off the tops.

"I said stay down there!" Grumpy threatened once more.

"Don't hurt me!" the woman fearfully pleaded.

* * *

"That's funny," Dopey was confused. "It didn't dial out to 911. It was trying to reach a private number,"

"Is it a problem?" Happy calmly asked.

"No. I'm done here,"

**_BANG!_**

Dopey slumped to the ground, instantly dead when Happy shot him in the back with a silenced automatic pistol. As soon as he was down, Happy started the next phase in this robbery. Stuffing the gun back in his inside jacket pocket and grabbing the duffel bag that sat near his feet, he raced toward the emergency staircase and headed down the steps so that he could do his job.

* * *

Class and school itself was almost over, but the game seemed like it was only beginning.

Nothing seemed to matter at the moment because my team was winning. Nothing could stop us now.

After I had "rescued" the last of the "victims", I went back out on the gym floor, ready for a little action. When I looked at the opposing team from across, I frowned. Haley Kingston was texting away on her cell phone to one of her drones about who-knows-what. Usually, schools prohibit the use of cell phones during school hours unless it was an emergency. That's basically common sense when it comes to school rules.

But to Haley Kingston, there were no rules for her. It didn't even look like there was an emergency at all...Unless you think discussing her new Prada bag to a girl in another class was an emergency which, in my opinion, is the stupidest thing in the world.

Suddenly, an evil thought came into my mind. Evil, yes, but it wouldn't get me in trouble. The only scolding I would get would be from Haley, anyway. I was lucky she was already out thanks to me, but I decided that there was one more button I had to push. Messing with Haley and her cell phone was a fine line between the craziest or the bravest thing I could possible do...

...Kayla would say its the bravest thing I could do, but that would be an answer I would expect...

Grabbing a red dodge ball that was resting by my feet off the floor, I gripped it in between my hands tightly, breathing out slowly in a sense of relaxation as I surveyed my target. Haley was only a yard or two away from where I stood, still oblivious to the outside world that was all around her, her delicate fingers still texting away on her pink Blackberry. I moved back my arm, took aim, fired...

Direct hit!

Before Haley could even put in one more letter, the dodge ball I threw smacked her Blackberry out of her hands.

"My cell phone!" she shrieked as the expensive phone slid on the smooth hardwood Gym floor.

Suddenly, Coach Williams blew the whistle, catching everyone's attention. Most of us jumped at the shrill sound and watched with interest as our Gym class teacher briskly walk up to where the cell phone laid. It was clear to all the students that Haley's cell phone in class was the straw that broke the camel's back. He picked up the cell phone off the floor and showed it for everyone to see.

"I'm not kidding," he said in a stern voice, loud enough for us to hear. "Unless it's either an extreme emergency or reasonable emergency--" He looked disapprovingly at Haley for a moment before turning back to us. "--I shouldn't see a single cell phone in sight during school hours. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," our class replied in scattered answers.

"Good. And as for _you_, Miss Kingston..."

Coach Williams returned to disciplining Haley.

"If you want this cell phone back, I suggest you inform your parents to schedule a parent/teacher conference so I can explain to them what happened,"

As Coach Williams started to walk away, I heard stifles of laughter from Ally and Kayla. I bit back a smile. The look on Haley's face was priceless as she kept glancing back and forth at me and Coach Williams.

Oh yeah.

She was definitely mad.

"That is **_so_** not fair!" she protested in front of the class, which was now turned into an captured audience, taken by her little dramatic scene. "Why isn't the Princess getting punished? She's the one who hit me with a dodge ball!"

Ally, Kayla, and I looked at each other for a second with raised eyebrows.

_...Um..._We seemed to be thinking the same thing. _That's kind of the whole idea of dodge ball._

"You mean Miss Chante?" Coach Williams didn't like the deragatory use of my nickname.

"Uh" Haley said in a "duh" tone, thinking that her teacher had to be stupid. "What other princess is there?"

"Well," Kayla spoke up in a cheery voice. "I see a spoiled, bratty princess. And she's standing about three yards away from where I am,"

I glanced nervously at Ally with pursed lips before lowering my eyes. Kayla can speak her mind a little too much sometimes too much for her own good. But she did make a true statement. It was almost common knowledge in Gotham City's teenage population that Haley Kingston was, and is, a spoiled brat.

Her little comment earned a low "ooh" from the class and a disapproving look from Coach Williams. Thankfully that was all she received.

"Did the ball hit you in the head?" he asked Haley.

I knew the answer to that question immediately. No. I didn't hit Haley in the head with a dodge ball. It was against the rules of the game and the last thing I would do is hit someone, with fist or thrown object, unless it was in self-defense. Besides...I don't even know how to punch.

"No," Haley answered in an angry tone, showing the back of her hand. "**_The ball. Broke. A nail!_**"

When this was said, my friends and I had to hold onto each other for support to keep from laughing out loud.

"Well, in that case--" Coach Williams turned to our whole gym class. "Game over. Chante's team wins. Class dismissed. Have a good weekend everybody"

* * *

The Bank Manager looked calmly out the window of his office, watching the clowns terrorize his clients and employees. Removing his reading glasses, he mentally prepared himself.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Everything was going according to plan. This was exactly the way it was supposed to go. Bozo was satisfied of all this.

_Yes..._ he thought to himself as he gave another hostage a grenade. _Everything is going just fine._

* * *

Finally!

Happy had made it down to the bank vault. Pushing open the swinging doors, he gazed upon the steel door that had millions of cash stored inside.

He tried to imagine how much money there was behind the vault.

_We're gonna be filthy rich _Happy thought with wonder.

* * *

Ally, Kayla, and I hung back a little as the crowd of girls moved toward the girls gym locker room to change into our uniforms. We were silent and walked slowly behind our classmates. Before we entered the locker room, I placed my hands on the shoulders of my friends: One on Ally and one on Kayla. I lowered my eyes to the ground, trying to hide my growing smile.

"...OK..."I said in a calm, slow tone. "On the count of three...One...Two...Three!"

Instantly, my friends and I released the laughter we held in. Giggles and chuckles tickled our throats. Our faces turned to shades of pink and red. It was only about a minute before we calmed down, but our smiles never left our lips.

"Oh my gosh!" Kayla took a huge breath, as a giggle escaped from her mouth. "How lame of an excuse was that?"

She then started to pretend she was Haley, flipping her red hair with her fingers before looking at her hand.

"I broke a nail," she mimicked in a high girly voice.

Ally and I lightly chuckled as wee made our way into the locker room.

"Come on," I guided my friends. "Enough of that. Let's go get changed,"

* * *

"Obviously," Grumpy rambled on to the hostages. "We don't want you doing anything with your hands other than holding on for dear life,"

The innocent people inside Gotham National Bank were absolutely terrified. Bozo had just given away the last of the hand grenades. The hostages clasped them tightly between their sweaty and trembling hands, pressing their thumbs over the tops as if to stop the explosion from each individual grenade.

It might have done very little, but what else could they do?

* * *

Time was running out.

Happy hoisted a huge electric drill to his shoulder, and set it up against the vault. A few cranks later, and the drill started cutting its way through the door.

* * *

"So what are you doing over the weekend?" I asked as I put on the vest of my green and black plaid school uniform.

Ally looked up from brushing her hair and gave me a look that told me that I should know.

"Did you forget about tomorrow night's dance at the park?" she asked me, staring in unbelief.

Wincing a little, I could have smacked myself on the forehead for forgetting about that. Gathering my books, I kept that wincing look on my face as I turned to Ally.

"Sorry," I apologized, closing my gym locker. "It totally slipped my mind. But don't worry, I'll still be able to go. Bruce and Alfred already know I've got plans to hang out, so we're still good,"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ally put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes for a second.

"Good," she stated as we started to head out of the girls locker room. "Because I have nothing new to wear,"

"Neither do I," I related to her. "Hence our little shopping trip,"

Suddenly, I noticed something. Looking around Ally and I, I saw that Kayla wasn't with us.

"Hey," I started suspiciously. "Where's Kayla? She's usually the first one out of gym class,"

Despite the mention of her cousin's unusual absence in our lives at the moment, Ally shrugged.

"She's probbably still changing," she replied.

_Come on, Ally _I thought to myself. _This is **Kayla** we're talking about here._

Before we made it out of the front door of the girls locker room, Haley stepped in front of us, blocking our way out as if she was waiting for us. It probably was the case considering she didn't change into her uniform yet. Her sudden and unexpected appearance made Ally jump a little in surprise, but I stayed calm as if it never happened. Haley did not look very happy, to say the least.

"I just bought that cell phone yesterday, Princess," she almost spat venomously.

I closed my eyes for a moment so that Haley wouldn't see me rolling them in annoyance. You have no idea how much I despise that nickname...

"Haley," I said before opening my eyes, staring at my enemy in a small glare. "Lighten up. You should know that you don't get special treatment when it comes to following school rules. And besides, whatever happened to the Blackberry you had last week? The one with the 10-carat diamond rhinestones that had your initials on the front? Did you get tired of it and ask your daddy to buy you a new one already?"

"_Sarah_..." Ally cautioned me through her teeth.

When it comes to arguments between me and Haley, it can go one of two ways. I would make a little comment to her about how stuck-up she was and walk away; the other, however, has me going a little too far. Ally's always been there to tell me if I was heading in that direction, and right now, I apparently went farther than I should. Haley's eyes darkened, and we said nothing back.

"If I were you," she threatened quietly. "I'd watch myself tomorrow night,"

Without another word, Haley pushed Ally and I out of her way, nose stuck up in the air, as she went in to get changed into her uniform. I freely rolled my eyes before turning to Ally when we started walking around the gymnasium.

"If she were me," I referred to Haley. "Bruce would put me up for adoption,"

"Don't underestimate Haley, Sarah," Ally warned me carefully. "She may have the I.Q. and the attention span of a goat, but she can get back at you and humiliate you in front of everybody if she wanted,"

"Ally, relax," I tried to reassure my friend. "What's the worse that can happen?"

Right on cue, Kayla came up to us with a big, triumphant smile on her bright face.

"Hey guys," she happily greeted us. "How's it going?"

Ally and I carefully studied Kayla's strange and happy mood...After a moment, our eyes got a little bit wide with anxiety. Slowly pointing a finger at her cousin, accusing her quietly, Ally said the first word.

"I know that look," she said in a low voice. "That look means trouble. Nothing good _ever_ comes after that look...Kayla--"

"What did you do?" I demanded in a small scold.

* * *

Chuckles hit the security guard he was watching on the back of the head with his gun. As soon as the poor man was on the floor, unconscious, Chuckles aimed his gun at the hostages.

"On the ground!" he shouted. "Stay on the ground! Nobody make a move! Nobody! Stay down!"

**_BANG!_**

* * *

"AAAAAGH! My hair!"

Kayla , Ally, and I turned our attention to where the locker room was, our expressions filled with disbelief, shock, or pride.

That did _not_ sound good.

I guess Ally was right.

Maybe I shouldn't underestimate Haley if she sounded _that_ angry.

Ally turned back to Kayla, anger hinting in her eyes.

"Do you realize how _dead_ we are when Mom and Dad hear about this?" she asked in a panicked tone.

"Just run for it!" I pushed my friends with me out of the gym.

"But the bell didn't go off yet," Kayla protested, raising an eyebrow at me.

"**_Move_**!"

* * *

It was almost a surprise to see the Bank Manager armed with a shotgun after he had shot Chuckles through his office window. Bozo immediately took cover behind one of the wooden tables, while hostages fearfully held onto one another, confused as to what in the world was going on. Of course! How could the criminals have been so stupid? They should have known something like this would have happened.

After all, they were robbing a mob bank.

* * *

Meanwhile, Happy was busy concentrating on getting the vault cracked open with his electric drill.

_ZAP!_

Shocked with a small amount of electricity, Happy was blasted away from the door thanks to the jolt.

_They have this thing wired!_ he thought in amazement.

...This was going to be a little harder than he thought.

* * *

**_BANG!_**

The bank manager shot at where Bozo was hiding, but he only managed to hit the pile of papers that was on the wooden table. But the clown-masked robber knew that he couldn't stay in one place for long. Making sure to stay down as low as he possibly could, Bozo moved to take cover at another wooden table.

However, this didn't stop the bank manager. He loaded his gun again.

**_BANG!_**

The bullet hit the wooden table Bozo was crawling by. Load the gun again.

**_BANG!_**

It was a close one this time. A small spark of fire told Bozo that he had almost been hit.

"Yeah!" the bank manager shouted.

He knew that he had almost caught the freaks who were robbing the place.

**_BANG!_**

Bozo kept crawling, eventually hiding with Grumpy behind yet another wooden table, pressing his back against it.

"You have any idea who you're stealing from?!" shouted the bank manager, taking a few steps closer before stopping about a foot away from where Bozo and Grumpy were. "You and your friends are dead!"

"He's out, right?" Grumpy asked Bozo.

Grumpy was talking about how many bullets the bank manager had left in his shotgun. Bozo looked up a bit, thinking to himself for a moment. Shotguns usually had six bullet chambers. After a second, Bozo turned to Grumpy and nodded a bit vigorously, confirming that the man with the shotgun had used all six bullets. Taking his word for it, Grumpy stood up and out of his hiding place, and took aim on the bank manager.

The bank manager was quicker on the draw. He shot at Grumpy as soon as he was able to see him.

**_BANG!_**

"What--?!"Grumpy shouted furiously to himself as he went down on the ground.

By the time Bozo himself had come out of hiding after Grumpy had been shot, he found that the bank manager was angrily trying to reload his gun. It was the perfect distraction. Taking no hesitation whatsoever, Bozo shot his automatic pistol at him.

**_BANG!_**

The bullet sunk into his stomach, and the bank manager stumbled to the ground, dropping his shotgun, defeated.

Bozo lowered his gun, breathing heavily through his clown mask, knowing that everything was all under control now.

Grumpy got up off the ground, a hand to his left shoulder as he inspected it.

"Where did _you_ learn to count?!" he asked Bozo angrily, looking back and forth at him and his shoulder.

Bozo watched as Grumpy headed toward the bank vault to meet up with Dopey, taking a duffel bag with him.

_...Guess he didn't run out of bullets..._he thought mischievously.

* * *

"You **_what_**?!" I almost shouted in disbelief as we ran down the hallway.

"Kayla!" Ally turned to face Kayla in shock when we neared our lockers. "Why would you do that?!"

"Oh, come on!" Kayla looked at both of us, acting as if we didn't get the point. "The hairspray bottle was lying right there in front of me. And besides..." The red-head grinned mischievously. "She always complained how much she wanted new highlights,"

"Kayla," I said through gritted teeth. "I am pretty sure Haley Kingston would not want _green_ highlights,"

"Oh, this is bad," Ally started to worry. "This is **_really_** bad,"

I couldn't have agreed with Ally more on that note as we finally reached our lockers.

"You really did it this time, Kayla," I spun my lock furiously.

"You'll thank me later," Kayla replied in a sing-song voice, calmly getting her stuff.

I would have said something back, but I didn't want to waste time and running energy. The door to my locker swung open as I gathered my things that I needed for the weekend. Homework, jacket (Alfred's always telling me to carry one around, no matter how warm it is outside), and my cell phone that Bruce gave me so that I would be able to reach him if I was in any trouble...Right now, he's at a meeting with Lucius Fox at Wayne Enterprises. I don't think he would be very happy if I called him right now, saying that I'm trying to help a friend escape an angry Haley Kingston and that I needed his help. It was a good thing I had my roller-blades with me. I looked on the clock on the wall as I zipped my backpack up. Only one minute left until the bell rang...

"Shouldn't you girls be in class?"

Instantly, Ally, Kayla and I stopped what we were doing and turned around as our lockers closed.

"Miss Rose," I said in quiet surprise.

Miss Rose was the headmistress at Gotham City Private. She's really nice if you make a good first impression. But considering the situation, my friends and I were at risk of getting kicked off of her good side. She looked like she was waiting for us to answer her, so I took up the courage to say something.

"Miss Rose," I chose my words carefully. "There is a reason why Kayla, Ally, and I are out of class without a hall pass, but I--I don't know if its a good one..."

"Oh?" Miss Rose raised her eyebrows in a sort of interest. "Would you care to explain that reason, Miss Chante?"

Nervously, I bit my lip. Should I lie?...No. Beisdes, other than lying to people about what I know about the Batman, my godfather can easily tell whether I'm lying or not. I was absolutely the worst liar in the world. Taking a deep breath, I spoke again.

"I'd rather not, Miss Rose," I said in a small voice. "I think guilt is the worse feeling I can get right now,"

I felt Ally and Kayla nod behind me in agreement, looking at our school principal with hopeful eyes. After a long pause, Miss Rose spoke.

"Well," she started. "...I must say, Miss Chante, that it amazes me that a student your age didn't make up a fairy tale in an attempt to not be disciplined. Obviously, you are mature enough to say that you feel guilty about whatever it is that led you girls to this situation. Now, since we do not have much time at school left, I will let you off with a warning and ask you girls to not do whatever it is you did again. But the next time I see either of you out in the hallways without a pass or roller blades out when they shouldn't be--"

Miss Rose glanced at me with a warning expression on her face as I sheepishly tucked my roller-blades behind my back before she continued.

"--I will be calling your parents and you will recieve detention. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Miss Rose," Ally, Kayla and I said in unison.

That was when the bell rang, ending school for the week. As students came out of the classrooms surrounding us, Miss Rose gave us a small smile.

"Have a pleasant weekend," she said before going on her way.

As soon as her back was turned, my friends and I let out are breaths that we held in and looked at each other.

"That was close," I commented.

"Yeah, no kidding," Kayla agreed.

"CHANTE!"

I jumped at the sound of my name being angrily called out by Haley. She **_really_** did not sound too happy...

"Come on, let's get out of here!" I urged Ally and Kayla to start running again.

And in the middle of the crowded hallways of Gotham City Private, we pushed students younger and older than us out of our way to get outside faster. Pretty soon, about a short minute later, we were out on the front school grounds, where expensive cars and limos were picking up the wealthy students after a long school day.

"Go, go, go, go, go," I said quickly.

"Wait!Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Ally stopped, speaking in a similar manner. "I forgot to get Nathan,"

"He's nine years old, Ally," Kayla protested. "I say we leave the squirt,"

"Kayla, we are _not_ leaving without my brother!"

"_**All right! Which one of you did it?**_"

Ally and Kayla stopped arguing instantly. I sighed, closing my eyes a bit.

"Hi Haley," I managed to throw up the words.

* * *

Happy looked up from what he was doing to the bank vault to find Grumpy rushing in through the double doors, and kneeling on the floor behind him, taking out the pile of duffel bags out of the one he carried in.

"They wired this thing up with like 5,000 volts," Happy explained. "What kind of bank does that?"

"A _Mob _bank," Grumpy answered. "I guess the Joker's as crazy as they say. Where's the alarm guy?"

"Boss told me when the guy was done, I should take him out," Happy took off the padded gloves he used to protect his hands, sure that he would not recieve any more electric shocks. "One less share, right?"

Happy spun the big metal wheel on the door, starting to unlock the safe.

"Funny--" Grumpy said.

Happy spun the other metal wheel, and the door slightly moved forward. The safe was finally open.

"--He told me something similar"

"He what--?" Happy then realized what was going to happen. "No. No!"

**_BANG!_**

* * *

Bozo wandered a bit around the lobby, looking around at the bank that they were robbing, glancing once or twice at the cowering hostages.

Yes.

Everything was going perfect.

And the best part about it was this:

This was only the beginning.

* * *

Grumpy pushed open the door to the vault, stepped over Happy's body, and rushed into the safe, where he found himself gazing at the huge piles of cash on top of metal tables. Underneath those tables were bags of even more money.

And it all belonged to him and the other clown now.

Throwing aside the spare duffel bag he had with him, Grumpy immediately started filling up the other one with cash, pushing in as much as he could carry and more.

* * *

"That's a _lot_ of money," Grumpy commented a few minutes later.

He was back in the lobby with Bozo. In the short amount of time that they had left, Grumpy and Bozo had managed to fill up eight duffel bags full of cash. Bozo dragged the last two to the pile they had going before looking back at the hostages, making sure that they weren't going to do anything stupid at the last minute

"If this Joker guy was so smart," Grumpy continued. "He'd have us bring a bigger car,"

Suddenly, Bozo heard the safety of a gun being turned off, and slowly turned back to find Grumpy with a gun pointed straight at him.

...Of course...He should have known this guy wouldn't be as dim-witted as the others...But was he as _clever_ as Bozo was?...

"I'm betting the Joker told you to kill me soon as we loaded the cash," Grumpy accused, thinking he out-smarted this Joker they kept talking about.

Bozo sighed, almost in disgust as he looked at his watch, checking the time in a casual way.

"No, no, no, no," he spoke for the first time ever. "I kill the bus driver,"

And with that, Bozo took one step to his right, getting himself away from Grumpy's gun.

"Bus driver?" Grumpy was confused.

He took one step to his left, keeping his aim on the guy.

Bozo merely tilted his head to the side a little bit as he took another step away from Grumpy. This time, Grumpy did not keep his aim on Bozo, almost frustrated with this little game.

"What bus driver?!" he shouted at Bozo.

A large noise drew Grumpy's attention, and before he knew it, the rear end of a school bus had backed up and crashed through the front doors of the Gotham National Bank. With full force, it hit Grumpy, immediately killing him with the impact and knocking him to the floor next to the duffel bags full of money.

Bozo watched this from the side where he stood, seeming numb to what he had just seen.

Oh no. Grumpy was not as clever and smart as he had thought himself to be.

* * *

"You are _**so**_ going to pay for this, Princess," Haley spat at me.

I would have said something back, but I was afraid that if I tried to speak, nothing but laughter would come out. Kayla's little trick was impressive, I have to admit. Ally thought the same as well. There were vibrant green streaks in Haley Kingston's blonde hair. While Ally and Kayla stood behind me, trying to restrain their laughter, I spoke to Haley.

"I don't know what this has to do with me, Ally, or Kayla, Haley," I hid my growing smile well. "But why should I pay for something I didn't do?"

"Oh please!" Haley rolled her eyes. "This obviously has your name written all over it!"

Truth be told, I don't know how Haley came to the conclusion that I was behind all this. But something in my gut told me that Bruce, being my godfather and all, was a good enough reason for her as she pointed a finger at me, accusing me in front of students who were interested enough to see what was going on. Luckily, there were not so many.

"You think you can get away with this, don't you?" she sneered. "All because Bruce Wayne is your godfather and he can get you out of trouble just by paying your way out!"

I rolled my eyes.

"You're one to talk..."I muttered quietly under my breath.

Other than that, I said nothing to argue about what Haley said. What good would it do to say that she was wrong? She would still have it in her head that she was right and it would just be a waste of breath to rebuttal.

Actually, when my godfather was not pulling his billionaire playboy antics or donning the mask of a dark vigilante, whenever I would get in trouble, he would have me deal with the consequences with whatever it was that I did. So far, he has never had to ground me for anything, but there were little warnings such as not putting my roller-blades in the right place and leaving them in the middle of the floor in the living room, when Bruce catches me staying up too late, or when I refuse to get up and out of bed on weekends because Alfred doesn't want me sleeping in past 9:30 in the morning. If something happened at school, and I was involved in a situation like the one my friends and I were in, what usually happens is that Bruce or Alfred (usually Alfred) would find out first, Bruce would sit on the bed with me in my room, and talk to me about it after he would hear me explain what I would have to say. From the moment I laid eyes on Kayla's trouble-making grin back at the Gymnasium, I knew it would only be just a mere hour or less before Bruce would find out.

"But let me tell you something," Haley continued. "You better not be stupid enough to show up at tomorrow night's dance or I'll--"

"Hey guys! Wait up!"

Ally, Kayla, Hayley, and I turned to see a crowd of 3rd grade students coming off a bus, Nathan Farris, Ally's little brother, being among them with a huge smile on his flushed face. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students at Gotham City Private had a field trip to a carnival just outside city limits and spent the whole school day there. For the past several weeks, Nathan would not contain his excitement about this trip, and right now he looked overjoyed as he ran as fast as he could toward us.

Wait a minute...What was he holding between his hands?...

It looked like one of those round mini personal birthday cakes with white frosting and colorful sprinkles on top. Nathan must have won it at the carnival. Why a carnival would give away a cake, I have absolutely no idea, but that was the only explanation I had as to how he had it.

"Look what I--!Whoa!" he exclaimed in an excited voice.

...What happened next was probably enough to make a volcano erupt from the top of Haley's head...

Kayla still laughs about it to this day, as do Ally and I. Poor Nathan was embarrassed and a little bit scared. In a haste to show us his little prize, Nathan had tripped over his own two feet. I was able to catch him from up front, but the small cake had already flown out of his hands and right into Haley Kingston's face!

My friends and I were still as statues while we stared at Haley. Though it was covered with thick frosting, I knew that Haley's face was a shade of red that would make her head look like an apple...had it not been for the green hair dye and the cake...

"...Well, um..." Why was my voice so shaky? I didn't do anything. "Would you look at the time? We better get home before our parents worry. Right, you guys?"

In my nervous chuckles and between the innocent smile on my lips, I turned to my friends, hinting that we should start running. They got the message right away.

"Right," Ally smiled broadly in the same innocent manner as she took Nathan's wrist, pulling him away from Haley. "Let's go Nathan. See you tomorrow Haley!"

Haley said nothing, but glared at Ally as she and Nathan sped away to their limo that was waiting for them. I had hastily put on my roller-blades earlier to make a quick escape, but then I stopped. Kayla was still standing there, staring at Haley as she tried to control the burst of giggles that threatened to escape her mouth.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh _*gasp*_ Wow," Kayla sounded proud of herself through her giggling throat.

"Kayla. _**Run**_," Was all I said.

After giving a small wave to the angry Haley Kingston, Kayla skipped after her cousins to go home. Shaking my head with a bit of a smile, I turned back to my enemy. Still smiling a little, I started to roller-blade backwards, with arms folded.

"See you tomorrow night at the dance, Haley," my smile grew more smug. "...Good luck with the hair,"

And with that, I roller-bladed away from Gotham City Private and headed towards home.

* * *

The emergency exit door on the back of the school bus swung open, and another man with a clown mask jumped out. Apparently, he was the bus driver.

"School's out," he told Bozo. "Time to go,"

As Bozo went toward the duffel bags, the bus driver glanced around the bank and at Grumpy's body.

"That guy's not getting up, is he?" he joked a little.

Bozo didn't answer as he tossed a duffel bag to the bus driver, who threw it in the back of the school bus. The bus driver grunted, feeling the weight of the prize they had taken.

"That's a lot of money," he said as he was tossed a second bag.

After loading the last of the bags, Bozo started to walk away a bit, and that's when the bus driver realized that they were the only two clowns left alive in the bank.

"What happened to the rest of the guys?" he asked Bozo, curious.

Bozo said nothing as he turned to him for one second and aimed his gun at the bus driver.

_**BANG!**_

The bus driver fell to the ground dead next to Grumpy's body. Bozo continued to get his duffel bag full of guns that they had brought along with them for the heist. He was the last clown left, and had the money all to himself now. As he dragged his duffel bag toward the school bus and tossed it in the back, he was about to climb in and leave when a voice stopped him.

"Think you're smart, huh?" it said.

Bozo turned back to find the bank manager, still on the ground, wounded from the gunshot he had given him. Knowing what had to be done, Bozo dug into his back pocket for a spare grenade as he walked toward the bank manager that dared to taunt him.

"The guy that hired youse..."the bank manager tried to laugh in disbelief, although it was quite painful. "...He'll just do the same to you...Oh, criminals in this town used to believe in things. Honor..._Respect_...Look at you. What do _you_ believe in, huh?" His voice was rising to the point where he was yelling in anger at the clown. "_**What do you believe in?!**_"

At this time, Bozo had reached to where the bank manager laid, knelt down next to him, grabbed the back of his head and stuck the grenade he had into his mouth to shut him up.

"I believe," he answered in a calm voice. "Whatever doesn't _kill_ you simply makes you..."

Bozo took off his clown mask, revealing his face. The bank manager gazed at it in horror.

...This was _**not**_ a face...

Blotches of white make-up had been poorly applied to this man's whole face. His eyes seemed to have no color except for the color black, courtesy of the black make-up that was caked around his eyes. Strands of greasy, green colored hair shone off the rays of sunshine that dared to shine on that particular spot.

But I think that the most horrifying feature that haunts the bank manager to this day, and any hostage who was foolish enough to take a glance at this man, was this:

At both corners of his lips...which were red as blood...there were these scars that ran all along this man's cheeks...making it look like he had this mangled and terrifying smile on his face all the time.

"...**_Stranger_**,"

...Indeed he was strange. And not only was he strange...

...He was the Joker.

The bank manager still stared at this man, wide-eyed with horror. The Joker just flashed a quick grin at him, jumped to his feet, and walked toward the back of the school bus that was to help him get away, all while the bank manager stared after him, still not believing his eyes, and the grenade still stuck in his mouth.

Then something caught the bank manager's eye. A strand of the purple suit-jacket that this green-haired villain was wearing had been tied to the key of his grenade, to the end of his coat. The Joker climbed into the back of the school bus, tossing his gun in with him, closed the emergency door, locked it, and hopped over to the front of the bus, before giving the purple strand a small tug.

The other end that was tied to the key of the bank manager's grenade was pulled off as the bus started to drive out of Gotham National Bank.

In dead silence, the bank manager waited for an explosion...

...As red smoke slowly rose out of the end of the grenade, the bank manager's muffled a sigh of relief that it was a mere smoke bomb.

And so, the Joker's school bus had made it just in time to pull in with other school buses, ones filled with Gotham's children that went to the public schools, blending in and driving past two squad cars of the Gotham City Police Department that were headed for the bank.

And the only things they would find were a demolished entrance to the bank scared hostages holding grenades, a wounded bank manager with a smoke bomb stuck in his mouth, five clowns dead, and 68 million dollars stolen out of the vault.

* * *

13 year old Celia Henderson sat at the back of the school bus with the headphones of her iPod stuck in her ears, staring at the busy streets of Gotham City in the late afternoon out her window. Her bus had just pulled out of Ferguson Middle School only two minutes ago, and Celia couldn't wait to hang out with her friends over the weekend. In her honest opinion, she deserved it after a long week of school. Now, you should know something about Celia: She usually tends to shut out the rest of the world when she's listening to her iPod. If a car crash happened right outside her window on the bus, she wouldn't notice it at all.

Today was different.

The school buses that come from Ferguson Middle School always pass by the Gotham National Bank. Celia knew her bus' route like the back of her hand...The only new thing about her trip home from school today was when she caught sight of some guy who looked like a clown driving a school bus straight out of the bank and pulling in right behind hers!

* * *

I had only rollerbladed for about five minutes around Gotham City, and was just a block away from the Penthouse where Bruce, Alfred, and I lived, when my cell-phone made a small noise, saying I had received a text message. Stopping at the curb for a moment, I sighed as I dug it out of my vest pocket.

"Please don't let it be Bruce," I chanted quietly. "Please don't let it be Bruce..."

Despite the fact that my chanted pleas wouldn't do me any good, I knew that Bruce was going to find out about what happened at school. Thankfully, it was only a text message from one of my friends: Celia Henderson, a girl I had met at the Gotham City Community Center about a year ago. She knew my cousin, Josh Mason, who now lives with my Aunt Elaina Mason in Chicago. When I saw the message she sent me, I raised an eyebrow.

_i just saw a clown driv a skoolbus outta the bank!_

Shaking my head, a smile tugging at my lips, I texted Celia back quickly.

"Yeah...right," I said my text out loud as I wrote them.

Right when I started to roller-blade again, a school bus sped past me on the street. I looked at it, thinking about what Celia said for a moment...That's funny...That bus was going faster than normal buses did...And...Didn't the driver look a little bit like a clown?...

...I exhaled a breath, almost laughing at myself as I neared home.

You know what?

It was probably all my imagination.

* * *

**_(A/N: Dear Readers, I thank you all for your patience as I prepared the sequel to my first story "Friend of the Knight". I know a little over 7 months is a long time to wait, but...let's just say I experienced "The Dark Knight" in real life, have a unique perspective on the plot now, and that Sarah Chante will be made a much more stronger character than she was when you last saw her._**

**_I'd like to dedicate this to my family: Thanks for helping me learn to pick myself up when I fall._**

**_To my friends, especially Kirsten and Kayla, for inspiring the characters of Celia Henderson and Kayla March. I'll miss you guys when I'm off to college in September._**

**_In memory of my friend Christian R. . I know you're up there in heaven keeping an eye on all your girls. Even though I've already graduated and won't be at school with them next year, I'm sure they'll still keep an empty seat open for you at the lunch table._**

**_To my faithful readers and reviewers for encouraging me to make this sequel happen. You guys are awesome!_**

**_And to the Jokers and Two-Faces to my Batman that I've encountered these past 2 1/2 years. Thanks for showing me how far people will go to ruin other people, especially me...Too bad you didn't go far enough...You didn't win...You never have..._**

**_Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Dark Knight's Friend". Enjoy)_**


	2. No Secrets Between Us

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

In case you haven't figured it out by now, my godfather was the famous multi-billionaire play-boy, Bruce Wayne. For almost a year now, I've been living with him and Alfred Pennyworth, our butler, after my parents died. At first, we lived at Wayne Manor, located just outside the city in the Palisades. But then there was a fire, so, now we live in a two-story Penthouse in Central Gotham in a place called Gotham Century Towers, while Wayne Manor was being rebuilt.

Let me tell you something...I absolutely love living in the Penthouse. As much as I loved living in Wayne Manor, I admit I'll be sad when the time comes to move out.

A few minutes after I saw that school bus earlier, I roller-bladed into the parking garage and headed straight for the private elevator that was used only by Bruce, Alfred, and I. I came to a slow speed on my blades, stopping completely when I placed a hand on the smooth elevator doors. Out of the corner of my eye, I expected to see my godfather's favorite steel-grey Lamborghini Murcielago a few feet away from where I stood. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw an empty parking space. Good. Bruce wasn't home yet. Now I don't have to start the weekend talking to him about what happened at school today.

I placed my thumb over the small screen on the wall by the elevator, and let it scan for my fingerprint before the doors opened. Rollerblading inside, I pushed a button to close the doors and another that would take me to the top floor and it was only a matter of seconds until the elevator let me off onto the floor of the Wayne penthouse.

"Alfred!" I called out in the spacious living room as I roller-bladed around. "I'm home!"

My backpack slumped off my shoulder and I dumped it one of the orange leather couches I passed by as I made my way toward the kitchen. Alfred can usually be found in the kitchen at this time of day preparing dinner. Sometimes I would do my homework at the counter while he cooked, and help him out when I was done. But since today was Friday, I would be doing my homework in the privacy of my own room while watching _Gotham Tonight_.

Alfred looked like he just got off the phone when I entered the kitchen. He looked up, saw I was there, and gave me that kind grandfather-like smile.

"Miss Sarah," he said as he walked to one of the cupboards. "How was school today?"

"Fine," I answered in a mild tone, making my way to the refrigerator.

"Just fine? Are you sure--" Alfred stopped for a moment and then sighed in what sounded like despair. "Miss Sarah, how many times have Master Wayne and I told you not to roller-blade in the Penthouse?"

I was just taking out a glass pitcher of pink lemonade when Alfred said that. My eyes grew wide when I saw that I did indeed still have my roller-blades on. Looking back at Alfred with a winced smile, I set the lemonade pitcher on the kitchen counter.

"Sorry Alfred," I apologized.

"Take them off before they leave any marks on the floor," he said.

I obeyed. Placing my hand on top of the kitchen counter for support, I unbuckled my roller-blades with one hand. While I did this, Alfred set the small cans of seasoning he took out earlier by the stove and went over to another cupboard.

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans," Alfred replied, taking out a drinking glass.

"Dessert?" I put on a hopeful smile.

Alfred chuckled as he poured lemonade into the glass.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid," he handed me the lemonade.

That was all right. I took a sup of the lemonade after I took off my skates, and gave Alfred a smile.

"OK," I said, getting ready to walk out of the kitchen. "I'll be upstairs in my room doing homework,"

"Now, not so fast, Miss Sarah,"

I stopped and turned to look at Alfred.

"Don't you want to tell me what happened in school today?"

...Oh great. Alfred knew about the green-hair incident. Word gets around fast in Gotham City. Really fast. Alfred looked like nothing was wrong at all, but I knew that my skills in lying were not so great. I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"It was Kayla," I confessed.

Even though I just ratted on one of my best friends, Kayla wouldn't mind being told on at all. Alfred looked thoughtful for a moment as he looked at me.

"Hmm," he said before putting the lemonade pitcher back in the refrigerator. "Well, still, Master Wayne is going to talk to you about it when he comes home in an hour or so,"

"...OK," I had this disgruntled look on my face. "I'll be upstairs then,"

After putting my lemonade glass on the counter by the stove, I left the kitchen with my roller-blades in hand and started to get my backpack when I heard Alfred say something to himself in the kitchen. Stopping for a moment, I listened in a little bit.

"If I were Miss March," I heard him say to himself. "I would have put black hair dye instead of green in that beastly girl's hairspray,"

In all the time I've known Alfred, to hear him say something insulting about someone else, especially Haley Kingston...well...that was the last thing I expected to hear him say. Giggling to myself quietly, I slung my backpack on my shoulder and headed up the spiral staircase to my room.

Let me tell you a little bit about the Penthouse I live at with Bruce and Alfred. It's a two-story, twenty-five thousand square foot apartment with two huge balconies. One of them is accessed through my room, and I love it! There's even a three hundred and sixty degree panoramic view of all of Gotham City. In addition, there are forty-foot ceilings in almost every room, a helicopter pad just outside the living room, an exercise area next to Bruce's room, and a recreational room where my friends and I occasionally hang out. It has everything from the latest Nintendo Wii systems to movies on Blu-Ray that are not even released yet. Every time my friends come over, they are always wondering how much money it would take to afford a penthouse as awesome as this. I honestly don't know, but the monthly maintenance fee is around thirty-one thousand dollars.

You would think that after a year of living a rich and luxurious lifestyle, I wouldn't be amazed at that price alone, but I am anyway.

The other cool feature is that the Penthouse is located right in the middle of Gotham City's most finest and popular restaurants and clubs. Bruce and I sometimes go out and eat at one of them on days when he wasn't so tired or not being a reckless billionaire playboy in public. Even though I go into my little "Princess of Gotham" mode for the paparazzi too, I know that Bruce and I do it to cover up the secret of him being Batman...

That reminds me:

The Penthouse is near an old, abandoned shipping yard that stands right outside the city, where all the gadgets that Batman uses are stored in an underground warehouse (It's actually called a Bunker), including the armor and the Tumbler. Bruce has a secret door somewhere in his room that takes him straight there when the city calls for Batman's help. Unless it was an emergency, I wasn't allowed to use that secret passage-way without Bruce...In fact, I'm not even allowed to go down to the Bunker by myself.

I walked into my room and closed the door behind me. After a long week of school, and the episode with Haley's hair, it was good to be home and be able to relax for a bit. Sighing to myself in exhaustion, I tossed my backpack on my king-sized bed and used my feet to get my black leather shoes off before kicking them aside with my roller-blades. I was taking off my green and black school jacket and on my way to the bathroom when I heard a sound go off on my iMac computer. That meant I was getting an instant message from one of my friends. Loosening the black tie with my school's logo, I went over to my computer. My eyes brightened. The message was from my cousin, Josh Mason...

Actually, he's not really my cousin. Turns out my mom was adopted when she was small and the rest is history. I opened the message and read what Josh sent me.

**_Hey Sarah,_**

**_Sorry I don't have time to IM with you. I'm going to a movie premiere with a few friends in a half-hour and I'm already running late. Listen, I just found out that I won't be able to fly up to Gotham for your birthday. My mom's hosting a charity event and opening her art exhibit at the museum and wants me to be there at both. Sorry I can't come. I'll send you your present in the mail. You're going to love it!_**

**_See ya!_**

**_Josh._**

**_P.S.: Is Ally still single? Lol._**

The last comment made me laugh a little. Josh had this tiny crush on Ally, but even though we were on good terms now, Ally still doesn't like Josh like he does. I was sad that he wasn't going to visit for my 13th birthday in a week-and-a-half, but I understood the situation he was in. There were times when I couldn't come to a few parties with friends because I promised Bruce I could go with him to a few charity events. I responded back to Josh's message.

**_Hi Josh!_**

**_Don't worry about it. I know what it's like. Have fun a the premiere, tell Aunt Elaina I said hi and wish her well, and a word of advice: Take your iPod with you to the charity event and the opening of the exhibit. We all know how easily bored we get at those. Just don't get caught with it. I know Bruce catches me with mine every time. Lol._**

**_Catch you later!_**

**_Sarah_**

**_P.S.: Ally is still single, but she still doesn't like you like that. Are you ever going to give up? Ha-ha. _**

After I sent my reply, I looked at the clock on my computer. Only an hour left until Bruce came home...

Another sound went off on the computer. I checked my instant messages again.

**_Sarah--_**

**_You and I both know that I'll never give up. Lol._**

**_--Josh._**

Laughing a little, I shook my head and got up to finally change into some comfortable clothes.

* * *

Bruce always came home when _Gotham Tonight_ was almost over.

I always watch that show while I'm doing my homework on the weekends. With Bruce running around at night being Batman and all, it was important to him that I would keep myself up to date on what was going on in the city. Let me tell you, I might be one of the very few people in my class that actually watches these talk shows. The first few weeks I did, it was kind of boring, but then I gradually began to be interested in this.

That night's episode was centered around a man called Harvey Dent, Gotham City's newest elected District Attorney for about six weeks now. I've heard a lot about him, especially from Rachel...

She's dating Harvey Dent.

You see, Rachel has been friends with Bruce and my family since before I was even born. She's kind of like a second mother to me, to give you an idea of how close she and I are. But for a while now, I kind of had this weird gut in my feeling that she should give Bruce at least a chance. I can't tell you how many times I've seen him stare at her when she isn't looking with that look in his eyes. He's always embarrassed to talk to me about it, but I know he really likes Rachel.

Now, I don't know much about this Harvey Dent guy, but everyone in Gotham seems to think of him as the man who would bring this city out of crime. They call him Gotham's White Knight.

Tomorrow, he was going to have a trial against Salvatore Maroni, the man who's been the head honcho of the Falcone Crime Family ever since Carmine got himself landed in Arkham Asylum a year ago. If Dent could prove that Maroni was the guy running most of the crimes on these streets, Maroni would be put away for life.

But I was hardly paying attention this time to tonight's episode of Gotham Tonight. It was mainly just an interview with Dent and a few people calling the news station and asking questions about how he was going to clean up the city.

Anyway, I'm sitting at my desk, my iPod ear-buds stuck in my head listening to music at a low volume doing my math homework. I had dressed in a pair of blue jeans, my black and white airwalks, and a black shirt with my hair up in a ponytail for the day. I was almost done when I heard a knock on my door.

Bruce was home.

"Sarah," he said through the door. "Are you in there?"

I may have been a bad liar, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to get out of talking about what happened at school to my godfather. The first thing I did was turn up the volume on my iPod, and continued working on my homework, making it look like I didn't hear him. I even started singing along to the song, as if it wasn't enough.

_**So how do you get here under my skin?! Swore that I'd never let you back in!**_

_**Should've known better than trying to let you go, 'cause here we go! Go! Go again!**_

_**Hard as I try, I know I can't quit! Something about you is so addictive!**_

_**We're falling together! You'd think that by now I'd know, 'cause here we go! Go! Go again!**_

Suddenly, the music stopped blasting in my ears, which caused me to involuntarily stop. At first, I thought the battery ran out, but then I remembered that I had it being charged before I took it with me to school that morning. I also saw the song was still playing on the small glowing screen. So why couldn't I hear anything?...

I slowly looked up to find Bruce, holding the other end of my headphones, as I slowly took them out of my ears. He had that small smile on his face that he always gave me: The one where he looks a little amused. Most of the time, that's my favorite smile. But when it comes to times like these, it made me feel embarrassed after I tried to get out of talking about what happened at school today.

"I can see why you didn't hear me through the door," he commented, keeping that smile on his face. "Concentrating hard on--" He took a look at what I was working on and what I was singing along too. "Pre-Algebra homework and Demi Lovato's 'Here We Go Again',"

"...Hi Bruce," I said carefully as I closed my math book.

"Hey," Bruce returned, his smile widening a little.

He folded his arms while I shut off my iPod.

"Any chance of telling me why Alfred received a phone call today from an angry Kingston about something that happened at school today?"

Here we go. Another Friday night starting off with one of Bruce's talks about the choices we make, and that with each choice, we have to understand their consequences and all. I sighed. Honestly, I really do listen to what he has to say and apply it to everything in my life, but I didn't want to hear it again. I might as well cut to the chase.

"OK," I looked at him, ready to explain everything. "First of all, the only thing I did was throw a dodge-ball at Haley so she could get caught with a cell phone in class. If she's angry about that, then she probably shouldn't have enrolled in gym class in the first place. Second of all, the whole green hair thing--that was all Kayla. OK? And the cake frosting all over her face was Nathan, but that was an accident,"

...Yeah. That sounded like a pretty good rebuttal to not getting in trouble with Bruce.

"Hmm..." Bruce thought over what I practically said in one breath. "Anything else?"

"...How much trouble am I in?" I winced a little, waiting for an answer.

To my surprise, Bruce chuckled.

"You're not in trouble, Sarah," he shook his head, smiling a little more.

"I'm not?" I asked, my expression confused as I packed my math book in my backpack

"No," Bruce looked at me as I got up to put my backpack by my bed. "Why? Did you think I'd be mad at you for throwing a dodge-ball at Haley Kingston?"

"...Well..." I said as I sat on my bed and laid back against the pillows.

Bruce took the hint in my voice that there was a little bit more. He walked over to my bed, and sat on the edge, looking at me as he waited for me to continue. The only reason I did continue was because he didn't seem to be mad, even though he just said he wasn't.

"I did kind of leave class early with Ally and Kayla to make a clean get-away..."

I stalled a little again. Bruce gave me a look through his amused eyes as if to ask "Is that all?"

"And Miss Rose caught me with my roller-blades out when they shouldn't have been,"

Amazing. Bruce still didn't look angry at all. Not even a little disappointed. He just smile at me more, shaking his head.

"Now why am I not surprised?" he teased me.

I was getting a little more comfortable with talking about what happened at school that day. I pointed a finger at him, playing along.

"Hey," I started to smile. "At least I don't roller-blade in the hallways,"

"Your mother used to roller-blade in the halls all the time in school," Bruce pointed out in his amused smile. "And she never got caught. Not even once...Never did figure out how she got away with it. She was always too clever for her own good. Kind of like you,"

"Is that a good thing?"

"I'm not sure yet,"

I laughed a little. Bruce always knew what to say to make me laugh.

"So," I said. "What are you--?"

Suddenly, Bruce held up his hand at me in a way that said I should quiet down for a bit, and turned his attention toward the TV. _Gotham Tonight_ was almost over, but as I sat up in my bed, and grabbed the remote to turn up the volume a little bit, I saw why Bruce was interested at the television all of a sudden. There was a breaking news report that had just come on.

_"I-I'm sorry to interrupt right now," _Mike Engel, the news anchor of _GCN_ and _Gotham Tonight_, said to Harvey Dent. _"But we've been informed of some breaking news, uh, here in Gotham. My colleague, Lydia Filingari, is reporting outside Gotham National Bank, where we're hearing that six men had robbed apparently sixty-eight million dollars out of the bank's vault,"_

OK, now my attention was captured. At the mention of Gotham National Bank, I remembered Celia's text message she had sent me and my friends only hours earlier. She went to school a couple of blocks away from where Gotham National was. Bruce and I listened to the report as Mike Engel continued.

_"Lydia, what's the situation down there? It doesn't look like you're close to the bank,"_

_"That's right, Mike." _Lydia Filingari, the co-anchor, showed up on a different screen next to Engel's._"We're a couple of blocks away from Gotham National. Authorities still have a perimeter set up around the area because the bank robbers apparently used grenades to intimidate the hostages into submission. Now there's fear more explosives may be inside,"_

_"What is the status on the six bank robbers at this point?"_

_"Five out of six of them are dead inside the bank. Four took gunshots to the body, and one was hit by a school bus that the last robber then used to get away with the money,"_

Slowly, my eyes grew a little wide. Bank? School bus? Was Celia's text message not crazy sounding after all?...Please don't say they were dressed as clowns. Please don't say they were dressed as clowns...

_"Any identification of the perps?" _Harvey Dent asked in a low voice

_"Lydia, have any of the assailants been identified at this point?" _Mike Engel asked._ "Do we know?"_

_"No, there's been no reports on what the bank's surveillance footage reveals--," _Lydia answered, shaking her head.

I sighed to myself. False alarm.

_"--But--,"_

Never mind.

_"--According to eyewitnesses, each man wore a clown mask, so there's been no identification thus far. We're still waiting to hear more,"_

_"OK, Lydia, we certainly thank you," _Mike said._ "Please keep us updated,"_

_"Of course,"_

_"We'll be tracking that story on Gotham Tonight. Well, Mr. Dent, you certainly have your hands full in this city. We certainly wish--"_

At this point, Bruce gently took the remote away from me and turned off the TV, having heard enough of the news report to understand what happened. As for me, I couldn't get over at how I already knew a little about this crime, and yet I didn't believe it when Celia told me. It just seemed too...bizarre. I mean, even Gotham couldn't be that crazy. After a little moment of awkward silence, I turned to my godfather.

"So," I started. "...I guess this means you'll be working late tonight?"

Bruce's serious face, which he had on while listening to _Gotham Tonight_, softened and he smiled at me a little.

"I have to anyway," he replied, standing up and looking at all the books and framed pictures that were on my shelves . "I heard this morning that a few people were admitted to the psychiatric ward at Gotham General,"

I furrowed my eyebrows. So far, I didn't understand.

"...And?" I asked for a better explanation.

"All the patients are drug addicts..." Bruce then turned to face me, a little more serious this time. "They're showing symptoms that are identical to Crane's Fear Toxin,"

I remembered that fear toxin. Who would be able to forget it's terrifying effects? I resisted the urge to shudder, trying not to remember the effect it had on me. After the incident at the Narrows that nearly destroyed all of Gotham about a year ago, Dr. Jonathon Crane, also known as Scarecrow when he wears that burlap sack over his head, had gotten away during all the chaos. Ever since then, Batman's been trying to catch him.

"You think Crane is still working with the Mob?" I asked my godfather.

Sometimes, Bruce would let me in on what was going on in Gotham that most people don't know about. When he was trying to find Crane, he once told me that there was evidence that Scarecrow had been working with the Mob, trying to get them to sell his Fear Toxin. Looks like he found someone to sponsor his drug.

"Yeah," Bruce answered.

"Do you think you'll catch him tonight?" I asked

"Hopefully...Hey, have you heard back from Josh yet?"

I sighed, grabbing a small throw-pillow off my bed and holding it to my chest.

"Yeah," I answered, sounding a little depressed. "He's not going to be able to visit me for my birthday. Elaina has a bunch of stuff going on that week, and he already promised he'd be there,"

"...I'm sorry," Bruce gave me a sympathetic look. "I know how much you wanted him to visit you...Speaking of your birthday--Is there anything you've had your eye on for a while now?"

I kind of smiled. There was something that I did want...

"Not really," I said instead.

Of course, knowing my lying skills were not entirely great, Bruce didn't buy it. He walked over to me, grinning a little.

"Come on," he tried to get me to tell. "I know that look. There is something that you want, isn't there?"

"There is," I confessed in an innocent voice. "But I can't tell you,"

"Sarah, how am I supposed to get you a good birthday gift if you don't tell me what you want?"

"...It's kind of a secret,"

"**_Sarah_**..."

"I know, I know. We shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other. I know. But I'd be embarrassed to tell you,"

"Fine," Bruce just grinned a little more. "I'll find out from Rachel,"

I just raised my eyebrow, smiling a bit. Bruce could try, but I didn't say anything to Rachel either. Not even to Alfred or any of my friends.

"What makes you think she'll tell you?" I asked, folding my arms.

"When it comes to you, Sarah," Bruce explained with a smile. "Trust me--There are no secrets between me and Rachel,"

I had to smile at that. Suddenly, my cell phone started to go off, saying I had a text message. It was on my desk, so I walked over to go get it without so much as glancing at my godfather. When I finally got to it, I saw that it was another message from Celia.

_i told u guys! n did u bleav me? that wud b a no. lol._

Oh Celia. How much she enjoyed being right. I was texting her back, saying that I believed her now, when I noticed the room get a little darker. I looked up and stopped. Out my window, the sun had settled in for the night and I saw a familiar bat-shaped shadow in the darkening clouds.

"Hey Bruce," I started as I turned around to face him. "Jim just turned on the--"

But by the time I turned around, my godfather was gone. He must have seen the signal before I did and disappeared again to change into his nightly alter-ego: Batman.

"--Signal," I finished my sentence before sighing. "...I hate it when he does that,"

* * *

Later that night, I was outside on my balcony. I always do this on the weekends. I put on a white tank top and pink pajama bottoms, put on some warm slippers, and sit outside, talking to my friends on my the phone using three way. My favorite nights were the slightly windy ones--The ones where it was cool, but not cold. I sat on my green and plastic lounge chair, the phone practically glued to my ear, staring at the Bat-Signal in the sky. Gordon never switches the light off until Batman gets the job done.

"So how much trouble did you gets get in?" I asked, making conversation about the day's little escapade.

"_I_ didn't," Ally sounded relieved.

Kayla, on the other hand, sounded a little ticked.

"_I_ **_did_**," she declared. "I'm grounded all next week,"

"Mom and Dad took away her cell phone," Ally added.

I heard Celia on the other end of the 3-way phone conversation sigh in distress.

"What did you do _this_ time, Kayla?" she asked.

Her tone clearly said that it was pretty much usual for Kayla to get in trouble.

"You know that girl who thinks she owns our school?" I asked Celia, filling her in. "Haley Kingston?"

"Yeah," Celia answered.

"Kayla put green hair-dye in her hairspray bottle," Ally finished for me.

This made Celia burst out laughing. I wasn't surprised. When it came to pranks, Kayla and Celia were partners in crime. Smiling a little, I shook my head, listening to what Celia had to say.

"Wow," she giggled. "That's a good one. Nice work, Kay-Kay,"

"Thanks," Kayla sounded proud. "I thought I did a pretty good job myself,"

"What about you, Sarah?" Ally asked me. "Did your godfather ground you too?"

"No," I answered casually.

Kayla scoffed.

"Figures," she said in a typical tone. "You **_never_** get grounded! And you know why you never get grounded? You never lie!"

"And you know why I never lie?" I asked back, mimicking her tone. "I suck at it!"

"She's the good one, Kayla," Ally stood up for me. "Remember?"

"And yet," Kayla still spoke to me. "Ally tells me you would sneak out a lot when she first met you. And even your godfather knows about that!"

"But she kind of had good reasons for sneaking out at night, Kayla," Celia gently reminded.

"I think," Ally stated. "The only reason Sarah didn't get in trouble was because Batman was helping her out,"

Oh great. Ally just had to say the "B-word" around Kayla and Celia. She knew how sensitive the issue with me and Batman was. I sat up in my seat.

"Ally, don' start--" I warned.

"Hey Sarah," Kayla interrupted. "How _is_ Gotham's Caped Crusader?"

Too late.

I sighed, sitting back in my seat. This is going to be a long night talking about Batman. If you think Ally was bad at asking questions about the Dark Knight, trust me when I say that her cousin is worse. Even when she's teamed up with Celia. And with both of them of the phone right now, I was trapped.

"I don't know, Kay-Kay," I explained. "I haven't seen him in almost a year,"

"The signal's up on the sky tonight," Celia said. "And I know how much you like sitting on that balcony of yours,"

"Yeah, so? What's your point?"

At this moment, I realized how thankful I was that the Farris's had curfews for Ally, Nathan, and Kayla, even on the weekends.

"_**Allison Heather Farris**_!" I heard Mrs. Farris in the background. "Get off the phone **_right now_** and go to bed!"

"Uh-oh," Ally knew she was caught. "I gotta go. I'll see you guys tomorrow,"

"**_Kayla Marianne March_**!"

That would be Mr. Farris in the background now...

"You're not supposed to be on the phone!"

"OK Uncle Jonathon!" Kayla answered. "Bye guys,"

"Bye Kayla, bye Ally," Celia and I said in scattered answers.

"Yeah," Celia sighed. "It is getting a little late. I better get to bed too. Night Sarah,"

"Good night Celia," I said.

Sighing to myself in relaxation, I hung up the phone and laid my head back against my lounge chair, looking at the Bat-Signal in the sky...

It had been a year since I last saw Batman up close. My friend...my confidant...the Dark Knight who had helped me solve the mystery of my parents deaths, saved my life, and was there for me when I thought I had no one else...Even after I found out it was Bruce, I still miss him...

Remember when I didn't tell Bruce what I wanted for my birthday? Well, the only reason I didn't tell him was because I was afraid he wouldn't give it to me...

I wanted to see Batman again, and maybe fly around the city a little...You know, like old times...

I don't know how long I had looked at the quiet night sky of Gotham City, but my eye-lids had drooped heavily to the point where I was falling asleep fast. My head fell to one side, one arm hanging over the arm rest of the balcony chair, my hand still gripping the phone, the other draped over my stomach. As I started to give in to sleep, there was a small gust of wind that blew and a noise. I heard footsteps slowly walk over to me...Wait...I didn't hear the door open...

I must be having that dream again. I have the same dream every night I fall asleep on the balcony.

I then heard a low sigh, almost like a guttural growl...

"Not again, Sarah..." said a familiar, raspy voice.

Whoever it was, he was familiar, and close enough to where I could touch him. But I'm always too tired to see who it was. The phone is taken out of my hand and my arm is gently being draped over an armored neck. A cloth covers me up, like a blanket, and arms pick me up and out of my chair. I do nothing. I don't even try to open my eyes. They were always too heavy to open when I'm tired.

I'm carried inside to my room, and I shift a little in the armored arms, resting my head against a shoulder, before I am put on my bed. My head sunk deep into my pillow when I turned on my side. The covers are pulled up to my neck and the lamp on my nightstand is turned off for the night. But the one thing that always happens when the dream was nearing an end was the hand sweeping away any strands of hair away from my face and a light kiss on the forehead before I would hear the raspy magic words that would end the dream.

"Sleep well, Sarah Chante,"

* * *

(A/N: Oh it feels good to finally get a chapter up with some Bruce/Sarah moments. And it's almost 1 in the morning. I sacrifced a few hours of sleep for you guys. Haha. Hope you liked this chapter! Tell me what parts you're looking forward to next. I'd really like to know.)


	3. A Day In Gotham City

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

Most kids my age sleep in until somewhere around ten in the morning on weekends during the school year. Unfortunately, I am not one of those kids.

I was awakened the next morning by the drawing of the curtains away from my windows. Alfred was doing what he did best: Getting me up out of bed before the sun was even up.

"Not morning already..." I grumbled, pulling the covers over my head.

"Time to get up, Miss Sarah," Alfred said, in his usually cheery voice.

Pushing myself up to a sitting position on my bed, I tried to get the sleep out of my eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked in a tired tone

"Seven in the morning" Alfred replied as he was making his way out the door.

Like my godfather, I am not a morning person. But Bruce was different. When Alfred knows that Bruce has been up all night as the Batman, there are days when he wakes him up at three in the afternoon. Sometimes, I think it's unfair that he gets to sleep in that long. This was one of those times. I groaned a little and fell back on my bed.

"Alfred," I whined a little. "It's Saturday. Can you come back in three hours?"

"Certainly not," Alfred said the obvious answer. "Unless you would like to keep your friends waiting since I recall a small shopping trip being planned today,"

I slowly opened my eyes, my face having this discreet glare on it. I groaned again in defeat.

"I'm up. I'm up," I kicked the covers off of me. "I'm getting up,"

"Very good," There was no mistaking the smile in Alfred's voice. "And when I get back from taking breakfast to Master Wayne, I hope to see you out of bed,"

At this point, my cell phone started ringing from where I left it on my computer desk last night. My ring-tone, the chorus of Fall Out Boy's "_Americas Suitehearts_", was buried by my shouting at Alfred as he went out the door.

"He's not even home, Alfred! He was working late last night!" I reminded him. "I'll bet he's at the Bunker!"

My cell phone was still ringing. I dragged myself out of bed, and clumsily grabbed my phone off the desk and answered it.

"Hello?" I asked in a tired voice, yawning a little.

"Where are you?" A familiar impatient voice sounded on the other end.

"What the--? Ally?" Why was Ally calling me so early? "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Time to hit the mall!"

When I heard this, I resisted the urge to scowl at my friend.

"Who shops at seven in the morning on a Saturday?" I asked.

"We all agreed that we were going to the mall early so we could get the good outfits before anyone else," Ally reminded me.

OK, now I was confused. I don't remember...Oh crud. Never mind. Now I do. I rushed to my closet, pulling out random items of clothing to wear.

"We did?" I asked, trying to pretend that I didn't remember.

Ally sighed.

"Don't tell me you forgot," she said.

"No," I almost laughed a little. "Of course not,"

"You're not a good liar, Sarah,"

Letting out a bit of a frustrated sigh, I rolled my eyes.

"OK, OK," I caved. "I forgot. I'll meet you guys at the mall in twenty minutes,"

"OK. See you there,"

I hung up my cell phone and started getting dressed. It only took me about 30 seconds to put everything on. And considering the short amount of time I had to get ready and get to the mall in less than twenty minutes, I actually looked pretty good. I had on a pink basic graphic t-shirt with a grey vest, dark wash blue jeans, and grabbed my black and white air-walks before dashing back to my closet. Alfred had come back to my room while I searched for my roller-blades.

"You were right," he said, not seeming to notice my throwing stuff out of my closet. "His bed hasn't even been touched since I made it yesterday,"

"You think he's had some sleep?" I asked, tossing out a black and pink striped fedora behind my back.

"I highly doubt it,"

At this time, Alfred noticed me frantically looking through my closet. I could sense that puzzled look on his face that he sometimes gets.

"What are you looking for?" he asked in a curious tone.

"My roller blades!" I exclaimed, almost giving up. "I thought I put them in my closet!"

"They're right here by the door," Alfred pointed to where my roller-blades were. "May I ask why you are in such a hurry?"

"Ally, Kayla, and Celia are already at the mall, and they're waiting for me,"

Grabbing my roller-blades and my black and gold Coach bag from by the door, I was able to catch a small smile on Alfred's face.

"Maybe I should start waking you up at six in the morning on the weekends," he teased.

I frowned a little. There was one thing I hated more than getting up at seven in the morning on a Saturday--Getting up _earlier_ than seven in the morning on a Saturday. But I grinned back a little, knowing it was just a little joke.

"Not funny, Alfred," I smiled back at him before going past him. "I've gotta go,"

"Without breakfast?" he sounded surprised.

"I'll grab a granola bar!"

"Take an apple with you, as well!"

"OK!" I shouted back as I rushed down the stairs. "I'll see you later!"

* * *

As soon as Sarah headed out the door, Alfred prepared to bring his young Master Wayne breakfast in the Bunker. There were times when he hated to have to drop everything to go down to the shipping yards where the Batman equipment was being kept. It completely ruined his schedule of the day. But Alfred did understand that Bruce was doing what needed to be done in the city, although he and Sarah did fear, on occasion, for the young billionaire's safety. However, those times of small fear were kept a secret between the butler and the Princess of Gotham.

Ten minutes later, Alfred pulled up the limo next to the large metal shipping crate, which hid the entrance to the Bunker where everything related to Batman had been hidden for almost the past year. With such calmness, Alfred walked over to it, unlocked the crate with his key, and stepped inside with the morning issue of _The Gotham Times _and breakfast packed up in a small plastic container. Bruce, Alfred, and Sarah never worried about anyone finding the Bunker. The shipping yards were actually owned by Wayne Enterprises, and it was private property anyway. No one in Gotham would dare go against one of the most powerful men in the world.

While the platform on which Alfred stood on lowered down to the Bunker, Alfred could see at the far end of the room where Bruce was sitting. The Bunker had a few computers set up, some of them showing security camera footage of the entire city, a work table, and the Tumbler itself. As soon as the platform was completely down on the ground, Alfred started walking toward to where Bruce was.

"It'll be nice when Wayne Manor's rebuilt," he started. "You can swap not sleeping in a penthouse for not sleeping in a mansion,"

By the time Alfred had reached Bruce, he frowned. There was a nasty gash on his left arm that he was trying, and failing, to stitch up properly.

"Whenever you stitch yourself up," Alfred commented, setting the paper and breakfast on the table. "You do make a bloody mess,"

"Yeah," Bruce said, giving the needle and thread to his butler. "It makes me learn from my mistakes,"

"Well, you'd ought to be pretty knowledgeable by now, then,"

Alfred put on his glasses to see better and got straight to work. He wondered what had caused this sort of injury.

"My armor," Bruce explained as if he heard what Alfred was thinking. "I'm carrying too much weight. I need to be, uh, need to be faster,"

"I'm sure Mr. Fox can oblige," Alfred reassured, before looking up at Bruce. "Did you get mauled by a tiger?"

Bruce turned his head away, his face turning a little pink from embarrassment.

"It was a dog..." he muttered under his breath.

Alfred was confused.

"Huh?" he asked.

"It was a **big** dog," Bruce emphasized. "...More copy-cats last night, Alfred. With guns,"

Since the Batman began fighting crime in the City of Gotham, it's obvious that his dark and mysterious theatrics would draw a little bit of attention to the community. Bruce thought that sometimes Batman would draw a little too much attention. Over the past few weeks, there would be groups of people dressed up as Batman trying to fight crime themselves. Of course, this was dangerous. Bruce was thankful that even Sarah didn't try anything like that. Not anymore, since she found out about his double life a year ago.

"Why don't you hire them and take the weekend off?" Alfred asked, joking lightly.

"That wasn't," Bruce smirked, chuckling a little. "Exactly what I had in mind when, uh, I said I wanted to inspire people,"

"I know," Alfred replied as he finished stitching Bruce's wound up. "But things have improved. Look at the new District Attorney,"

Bruce turned his attention to one of the computer screens on his work desk. Switching it from security footage from the bank robbery at Gotham National Bank to news footage about Harvey Dent, he settled straight back to work on keeping a close watch on Gotham during the daylight hours.

"I am. Closely," Bruce stated in his small, serious tone. "I need to know if he can be trusted,"

"...Are you interested in his character or his, uh, social circle?"

Alfred pointed to one of the computer screens, prompting Bruce to look at it. On the screen, it was showing footage from a different security camera that had been set up around the city. This particular type of footage was showing Bruce Wayne and Sarah Chante's close friend, Rachel Dawes. She was walking on the sidewalk with Harvey Dent himself; Smiling; happy; a look of love on her face when she would be speaking to Harvey. It was the type of look that Bruce secretly wished he would get from her. He frowned a little bit.

"...Who Rachel spends her time with is her business," he tried to hide his guilt of spying on Rachel.

Bruce got out of his chair to change into the white dress shirt and tie that was lying on another chair. He had hoped that he would get out of talking about this particular discussion with Alfred, but he knew the man well.

"I trust you don't have me followed on my day off," Alfred commented, disapproving of his master's spying.

"You ever took one, I might," Bruce warned a little.

He turned back to take off his black shirt, and from what Alfred saw, the back of his sculpted body showed stories of Bruce's previous exploits as were bruises, cuts, and even scars that were once horrible wounds. Alfred held his breath in a little.

"...Know your limits, Master Wayne," he finally said.

"Batman has no limits," Bruce turned back to his butler, putting on his white dress shirt.

"But you do, sir,"

"Well, can't afford to know them,"

"And what's going to happen on the day that you find out?"

Bruce sort of smiled a little as he buttoned up his shirt.

"We all know how much you like to say 'I told you so'," he reminded.

"Well, on that day, Master Wayne, even I won't want to," Alfred smiled. "Probably,"

Bruce smiled again as he grabbed for his tie. While he got ready to face the world for the day, Alfred turned back to the security camera footage on the computer screens and frowned a little again. He saw on the screen his master's goddaughter, Sarah Chante, roller-blading down the sidewalks as fast as she could to get to the mall. He turned back to Bruce.

"Master Wayne," he started. "Do you think it would be a wise idea to tell Miss Sarah that you have been following her with the cameras when she's out and about in the city?"

Bruce was just straightening his tie when Alfred said that, and he stopped a little, his face still and absent to his pondering mind. Sarah didn't know anything about the cameras in the city, let alone the fact that her godfather would be watching her every move when she was around Gotham. He was ashamed to admit that it was a secret he should not keep from her, but he thought it was a secret that he would keep for her safety.

"...Actually, uh..." Bruce thought about what he would say. "I haven't really given any thought to telling her about it..."

"Don't you think she has the right to know?" Alfred asked when his master paused.

"She does..." the young billionaire took his suit jacket off the chair.

"...Then why keep it a secret from her? Didn't you both promise that there wouldn't be any secrets between the two of you after she discovered you were the Batman?"

Stopping when he was finished buttoning up his suit jacket, Bruce stole another moment to think again.

That promise.

The promise that both godfather and goddaughter had made to each other after the discovery of Batman truly was. It was the foundation and trust of that promise that brought Bruce and Sarah closer, almost like, Bruce dared to think, a family. Family was what Sarah really needed, and Bruce gave it to her for the past year. He treated her like she was his daughter, and loved her as much as Luke and Jennifer Chante loved her. Sarah had come so far since her parents were murdered, and Bruce didn't want to destroy her progress in life by telling her this one little secret.

"...I trust Sarah, Alfred," Bruce finally said, looking at Alfred. "You know I do. But the fact is I don't want there to be another day where she's taken away and I don't know where she is...I'm doing this to protect her..."

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Sarah!" Ally exclaimed. "You have to buy this dress! It'll look great on you!"

For the millionth time early that afternoon, I stopped right next to Ally and looked the billionth dress she's told me to buy because it would look great on me. She seemed to have already forgotten that I already bought a nice dress to wear for tonight's school dance. And that only took three stores to look through. Not a hundred stores like Ally.

"We're going to a school dance, Ally," I pulled her away and out of the store so we could catch up with the others. "Not a ball,"

"Sorry. I'm just so excited!" Ally started skipping with shopping bags in her hands.

Kayla turned to look at her cousin, taking out the headphones of her iPod. I could hear Katy Perry's "Waking Up In Vegas" blaring through those tiny speakers. It was amazing how well that girl could hear if she listened to music that loud.

"About the shopping or the dance?" she asked.

"The dance," Ally replied.

"Really? 'Cause you get unusually excited about shopping too,"

Scowling a little, Ally smacked her Kayla with one of her over-sized shopping bags. Kayla just laughed and put her headphones back on.

"Hey," Celia Henderson turned to me. "I heard that famous pop stars and all kinds of people come to these sort of dances. Is that true?"

"I wish," Ally answered in a sort of despair before me.

"Yeah," Kayla took out her headphones again. "She's been trying to get the Jonas Brothers to come with us to this dance for, like, a month now,"

"**_Kayla!_**"

Celia raised an eyebrow.

"You guys know the Jonas Brothers?" she asked in a skeptical tone.

"_Know_ them?" Ally asked Celia as if she was insane.

"Oh boy," I muttered under my breath, putting my shaking head into the palm of my hand. "Here we go again,"

Ally ignored me and turned back to Celia.

"My Uncle Chris," she explained." Kayla's dad, owns the recording studio they use to record their songs,"

"Um, Ally," I had to break it to my friend sooner or later. "Just because Kayla's dad owns the recording studio, it doesn't mean you personally know the Jonas Brothers. If anything, you have connections to actually meet them,"

"So? We still have eight hours until the dance. Plenty of time to meet them with our resources,"

"OK," Celia clutched her head a little. "Can we discuss a new topic please? All this talk of Jonas Brothers is making me lose a few brain cells,"

Suddenly, after Celia had said that, we heard a voice that Kayla would describe as nails scratching a chalk board. In other words, Haley Kingston was here, accompanied by Veronica Simmons, her way-too-loyal best friend.

"Here's a good one," she got in front of us, stopping us where we were. "How many of you girls think that Bruce Wayne, without a shirt on, is hot?"

"Oh, I do!" Veronica raised her hand.

"...I think I just threw up a little..." I said to my friends, glaring at Haley a little.

"Hi Haley," Ally stayed calm in front of our enemy. "I see you have your hair back to the color it was before,"

Indeed it was. Haley's golden blond hair was free from the green streaks that Kayla had so graciously provided. From the corner of my eye, I could see Kayle rolling her eyes. That was a sign that she was going to have to think up a better prank to pull on Haley. I admit, I can't wait for it.

Veronica couldn't stop smiling as if nothing was wrong between us, and we were all friends. Let me tell you something about Veronica Simmons: Not to sound mean or anything, but she's the reason for the dumb blond jokes. I'm not kidding. That's all there is to describe her personality, and that's all I'm going to say. I smiled a little at her.

"How's it going, Veronica?" I asked.

"Great!" Veronica sounded enthused. "Haley and I are getting manis and pedis. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Sounds relaxing,"

I knew what manicures and pedicures were, and I occasionally have some with Ally, but I didn't see anything about them to be so excited. From behind me, I heard Kayla and Celia giggling a little.

"Veronica, shut it!" Haley barked at Veronica before turning to me with a glare. "I'm giving you one last warning, Chante--If you don't want to face total humiliation tonight, don't show up at the dance,"

Arms folded, I stared back at Haley, trying to give her the same face my godfather would have when something threated him: A blank stare, with a hint of courage and strength, as if threatening words didn't affect anyone at all. I took a step toward her, keeping that same look on my face.

"Bring it on, then," Was all I said.

Haley grinned a little.

"OK," she taunted a little. "Don't say I didn't warn you, though. Let's go, Veronica,"

"Bye everyone!" Veronica followed Haley as they turned to leave. "See you at the dance tonight!"

After they left, my friends and I said nothing for a while.

"So..." Celia tried to break the silence. "_That's_ Haley Kingston, huh?"

"Yep," Kayla said, her lips making a popping sound at the end of her answer.

"...You know, it's girls like her that make me glad I'm in public school,"

"It's girls like her that make me _miss_ public school," I griped a little, starting to walk in the crowded mall area again. "And I used to go to the Narrows District,"

"So what's the deal with you guys and her, anyway?"

"I don't know," Kayla shrugged as we headed for the food court. "All I know is that when I first met her, I just _had_ to hate her. Seriously: There's nothing I like about that girl,"

"There's more to the situation than that, Kayla," Ally said as we found an empty table to sit at. "Haley and I used to be friends when we were in the second grade. She was having a birthday party and wanted me to get her this Beach Party Barbie doll as a present. But when I gave it to her, she totally flipped out and said that she wanted a _Spa Day_ Barbie doll and accused me of getting her the wrong gift. We've been enemies ever since,"

Kayla looked a little surprised after Ally's story.

"Wow," she commented. "She was demented even _before_ she hit puberty,"

"OK, Sarah," Celia laughed a little when she turned to me. "What's your Haley-Horror story?"

"Well, let's see..." I leaned back in my seat, arms folded, searching through the mental list of why Haley hated my guts. "She hates me because I live with someone who has more money than her, therefore I automatically become richer than her, I'm friends with you, Ally, and Kayla, I don't drool at the sight of my godfather, I spilled punch all over her six-thousand dollar dress at Bruce's birthday party last year, called her a witch--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kayla interrupted me. "Back up...You spilled punch on her dress? **_You_**, Sarah Elisabeth Chante, spilled punch all over Haley Kingston's dress?"

"It's true," Ally smirked, sounding a bit proud of me. "I was there. I saw the whole thing,"

What I had done a year ago seemed to make Kayla's day. I had never seen her laugh so hard, or her face so red. Celia approved as well, considering they both high-fived each other.

"Oh my gosh!" Kayla said between breaths. "I wish I could've seen that!"

"Yeah, Sarah," Celia giggled. "I have to admit--That sounds a little bold to do, even for you,"

I found myself smiling a little.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said proudly.

"Hey guys," Ally got our attention. "Look,"

All of us turned our attention to a large-screened television that was set up in the Food Court. Usually it shows the news broadcasts on GCN and things like that. Today they were showing the trial against Salvatore Maroni.

Remember: He's the guy who is more than likely the new head of the Falcone Crime family after Falcone was admitted to Arkham Asylum last year. This trial was to prove that he was indeed in charge of the most notorious mob in Gotham, and, hopefully, put him behind bars for life.

Somewhat to my dismay, a little, Harvey Dent was on there too. There are times that I think the media was more interested in him than they were interested in what he was trying to give the city. He was standing in front of the court, asking questions to a witness. This witness was named Albert Rossi, a reputed member of the Falcone Crime family himself. If he was willing to cooperate with the police and Harvey Dent, then he would confess to Sal Maroni being the new head of the crime family. About five or six weeks ago, he was arrested with two other men at a polling station when citizens were casting their votes on the future District Attorney, which obviously turned out to be Mr. Dent. Their crime took place at the polling station after it started to get dark and I remember watching Gotham Tonight, hearing about the event. The three men were armed with baseball bats, allegedly threatened voters, and destroyed Harvey Dent campaign posters.

Of course, we all know what happened next. Batman appeared on the scene, disarmed the criminals, and tied them to a tree, leaving the rest of the work for the police.

That was one of the few nights were Bruce actually comes home early.

Just near the left of the screen, I saw the back of a woman, and smiled a little. I could recognize Rachel anywhere. I wonder what she was up to lately...Well, I'll find out later tomorrow. She's taking me out to lunch...

...She wants me to meet Harvey Dent.

I took a moment to get out of my thoughts and listened to the trial of Sal Maroni with my friends.

"_With Carmine Falcone in Arkham_," Harvey Dent stated to the courtroom. "_Someone has to step up to run this so-called family_,"

Quietly, Albert Rossi nodded.

"_Is that man in this courtroom today?_"

Again, Rossi nodded.

"_Could you identify him for us, please?_"

Harvey Dent was now in front of Sal Maroni himself when he asked Rossi that question. Rossi grinned a little.

"_You win, Counselor_," he said.

Dent smiled in a bit of triumph. So far, so good...

"_It was me_,"

The courtroom laughed a bit. The judge shook his head in disapproval. Harvey Dent looked surprised and a bit ticked off. And to top all of that, Kayla thought it was funny too. Her Dr. Pepper she had with her came out of her nose. I bit my bottom lip to keep from grinning and paid attention to the rest of the trial while she recovered from the carbonated soda that had burned and tingled the inside of Kayla's nose.

I saw Rachel hand Dent a piece of paper as soon as Rossi cracked his little joke.

"_I have a sworn statement--_," Dent took the paper. "_--from_ _you, that this man--_" He pointed to Rossi, then to Maroni. "_--Salvatore_ _Maroni--_" He put the paper back at the table before going over to Maroni. "_--is the new head of the Falcone Crime Family_,"

"_Maroni?_" Rossi sounded like Dent had to be joking. "_He's the fall guy. I'm the brains of the organization_,"

The courtroom laughed again. Though he was a member of a dangerous mob, it was amazing to see ordinary people who abide by the law like they should thinking that this guy was funny. Dent looked like he had enough of this. It was clear that Rossi not cooperating and putting on his own little stand-up comedy for the court was a waste of time. I'd have to say that I agree with him if he was really feeling that way.

"_Order!_" the Judge banged his gravel on his desk, calming the courtrooms laughter down.

"_Permission to treat the witness as hostile_," Dent requested.

"_Granted_,"

Suddenly, I saw Rossi go from all grins, to a little angry and furious.

"_Hostile?!_" he asked, outraged. "_I'll show you hostile!_"

The next thing that happened was a little surprising. Albert Rossi pulled out a handgun from the inside of his really tacky plaid suit jacket, aiming straight at Harvey Dent. The crowd gasped in horror, remembering that Rossi was a dangerous man to be dealing with, not to mention dangerous to anger.

"Oh my gosh," Ally gasped a little as she grabbed Kayla's hand.

Kayla didn't do anything to protest, but squeezed her cousin's hand in comfort. It was clear that the both of them were equally anxious. Celia just stared at the screen, a little wide-eyed and open mouthed. I looked back at the television. Rachel was halfway out of her seat...which kind of made me a little uncomfortable...She must really like him a lot...

"_**Umph!**_"

I didn't catch Harvey Dent punching Albert Rossi across the face, quick as lightning. By the time I had turned my attention back to the television, there were two security guards grabbing a hold of Rossi as he recovered from the hit. Dent now had the gun in his hand, looking at it as he moved toward Maroni.

"_Carbon-fiber_," he inspected the gun. "_.28 caliber. Made in China. If you want to kill a public servant, Mr. Maroni, I recommend you buy American_,"

Dent put the handgun on Maroni's table, leaving it at that. The security guards started taking Rossi away.

"_Get him out of here_," the Judge ordered.

"_But, your Honor_," Harvey Dent turned back to the Judge. "_I'm not done_,"

There was applause from the courtroom. Rachel obviously looked relieved that Harvey was all right. Nothing interesting seemed to happen next, so my friends and I started talking to each other again.

"Man," Kayla sounded impressed. "Harvey Dent knows how to punch. Did you see that? The gun was, like, an **_inch_** away from him!"

Celia nodded in agreement.

"I think it's cool how he's getting straight to work on putting the Falcone Crime Family in jail, where they belong," she expressed.

"Hey Sarah," Ally said. "Are you OK?"

My mind had wandered to thinking about Rachel. What would make Rachel fall for someone like Harvey Dent? Why wouldn't she go for Bruce? I mean, the two of them knew each other since they were kids! They know each other better than anyone else...Wait, why am I thinking this? This wasn't any of my business. Thank you Ally for getting me out of that mental argument with myself.

"Hm?" I asked. "Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. I just spaced out a little...Hey, I'm gonna go and see Bruce at work, OK? I'll catch you guys later tonight,"

"OK," My friends said as I grabbed my stuff. "Bye Sarah. See you later,"

* * *

About thirty minutes later, I had roller-bladed to Wayne Enterprises in silence. Sure, it kind of bothered me that Rachel was with Harvey and not Bruce. I mean, she's like a mother to me. Anything she deals with affects me--**_Ugh!_** There I go again! I have got to stop thinking about this. Whatever Rachel does with her life is her choice, and that includes who she wants to spend her time with. I'm just going to have to get over it, and move on...

...I still found myself thinking about it when I was changing out of my blades and into tennis shoes in the elevator on the way to where my godfather was having a board meeting. He actually calls it a "bored" meeting because he always ends up falling asleep in the middle of all the important things he should know.

When I finally arrived to where the board meeting was, a bunch of people were walking out of the meeting room through the double doors. The first person I recognized as I stepped out of the elevator was Lucius Fox. He's a really nice guy, who's known the Wayne family since before Bruce was even born. When I met him last year, he was working down in the basement of Wayne Enterprises in the Applied Sciences Department. That's where most of the cool gadgets Batman uses comes from. Now, Lucius was made the CEO of the company, and everything is going great.

Lucius was talking with a man of Asian origin when he saw me come in.

"Well," he smiled at me. "Hello there, Sarah,"

"Hi Lucius," I smiled.

Suddenly, I was accidentally bumped into by someone else. I resisted rolling my eyes when I saw that it was Coleman Reese, a lawyer working for my godfather to make sure that the company was getting everything they needed when dealing with another business. Sometimes, he annoys me, but I didn't hate him. Instead, I gave him a small smile and nodded.

This was me going into my little "Princess Of Gotham" mode.

"Mr. Reese," I greeted.

"Sarah," Lucius put a hand on my shoulder. "This is Mr. Lau. He is the head of Lau Security Investments Holdings in Hong-Kong. Mr. Lau, I'd like to introduce to you Miss Sarah Chante, Mr. Wayne's goddaughter,"

"An honor to meet you, Miss Chante," Mr. Lau shook my hand

"It's an honor to meet you too, Mr. Lau," I returned the handshake before turning to Lucius. "Is Bruce inside, Mr. Fox?"

"He certainly is," Lucius smiled at me. "You may go on in and see him,"

"Thank you," I faced the other two men with my smile still on my lips. "Mr. Lau. Mr. Reese,"

"Miss Chante," Mr. Lau returned.

I admit, it was a relief to get away from people who made me feel uncomfortable. There were very few adults in this city that I felt comfortable around with, and for good reason too. I don't think I have to tell you guys why.

The meeting room was empty except for Bruce and I being in there. For a few seconds, I could only see the back of his chair, but when I got to the point where I could see his face, I had to keep myself from laughing. He was fast asleep in his chair. I think he was like that for the whole meeting. He did have a long night last night.

Suddenly, I had a little mischievous idea come in my mind, and I smirked a little. Making up my mind I set my shopping bag and roller blades on the floor underneath the table, sat on top of it with legs crossed right in front of Bruce, and stuck my tongue out...

Nothing happened.

So, I stuck my tongue out again, this time trying to make the tip of it touch my nose.

The only reaction I got out of that was a little stir, but he still didn't wake up.

I rolled my eyes, closed them and mouthed "Oh come on" to myself. What did I have to do to wake him up? For the third funny face I made at my sleeping godfather, I stuck my tongue out, tried to make the tip of it touch my nose, and crossed my eyes.

...He must be really out of it today...

"**_Ha!_**"

Letting out a surprised yelp, I jumped as my godfather sprung out of his chair, grabbed me in his arms and spun me around.

Guess he was awake after all.

Bruce laughed as he kept spinning me around in circles, going back and forth. I couldn't stop laughing either as I tried to get out of his grip. But one of my favorite places in the world was in Bruce's arms. It was one of the very few places where I felt safe.

"Did I just see you cross your eyes at me?" he asked me through chuckles.

"Maybe," I replied, trying to stop laughing.

"Maybe, huh?" Bruce spun me around again. "And I suppose I didn't just hear you sucking up to Lau a few seconds ago,"

"I was not!" I protested. "And you were supposed to be sleeping!"

"Oh, was I now?"

One last time, Bruce sent me in a whirl of circles and laughter. I liked it when Bruce and I spent time together like this. It made me feel like I was part of a real family again. After a few moments more, Bruce stopped in front of huge window that showed a panoramic view of Gotham. I stayed in his arms, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Look," he said to me, smiling at me. "Look at the city from up here,"

"I like it," I smiled. "It's beautiful,"

In my opinion, the only thing more beautiful than a view of the entire city during the daytime was the city at nighttime. Everything looked so much more magical at night. The city at night is such a breathtaking sight if you ever get the chance.

"Another long night?"

Bruce and I turned and saw Lucius enter the meeting room after saying goodbye to Lau, Reese, and the members of the board. My godfather set me down on my feet, and I stood by him, listening to Fox.

"This joint venture was your idea, and the consultants love it," Lucius stated to Bruce as he walked closer. "But I'm not convinced. Lau's company has grown eight percent annually like clockwork. His revune stream must be off the books..." He raised an eyebrow a little to show how serious the situation was. "Maybe even illegal,"

"OK," Bruce sounded calm. "Cancel the deal,"

A smile slowly appeared on Lucius's face.

"You already knew," he said.

I smirked a little as Bruce smiled back. Of course he would know.

"I just needed a closer look at their books," Bruce explained, putting an arm around me.

"Anything else you can trouble me for?" Lucius asked.

"I need a new suit,"

"Yeah, well," Lucius joked. "Three button's is a little 90's, Mr. Wayne,"

"I'm not talking fashion," Bruce explained as I tried not to laugh. "Mr. Fox, so much as function,"

As soon as I began to calm my laughter down, I saw Bruce pull out a few papers from the inside of his suit jacket and watched him hand it to Fox. He didn't let me see, but I could tell from the back of the paper that there were outlines of something that looked very related to Batman. I tried to peak a little bit, but Bruce held me close to him just a little bit tighter. When I looked at him, wondering if I was doing anything wrong, he just looked back at me real quick and gave me a small smile before looking back at Lucius.

"You want to be able to turn your head," Lucius inspected the blueprints

"It'd sure make backing out of the driveway easier," Bruce remarked.

"I'll see what I can do,"

* * *

As night began to take its rule over the city once more, I was coming down the stairs in the new outfit I bought at the mall that day. Ally, Kayla, and Celia were on their way over in less than twenty minutes, and I was a bit proud of myself for being ready to go early. For tonight's dance, I was wearing a nice little black dress that was styled appropriately for someone my age, my golden heart-shaped locket that my parents gave me when I was eight years old, a thick black headband, and a nice pair of black shoes.

Ally said I was going overboard with the black a bit, but we both did agree that it was a classic color to wear and that it was a good thing I wasn't going out in public looking like a zombie. Celia and Kayla would protest to that last comment. They liked dressing in punk styles, especially Kayla on the weekends when we didn't have school.

Bruce was downstairs too. He was just getting started on buttoning the cuffs of his sleeves when I finally came down to the living room.

"Ah!"

Even though he attempted to keep it to himself, I heard my godfather's small cry of pain as thought it was heard through a megaphone. I snapped my head toward him, a worried expression on my face as I saw him grip his right arm, near the elbow area.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

"Nothing," Bruce quickly dismissed it, trying to reassure me with a smile. "It's nothing you need to worry about,"

There were times when I didn't know whether my godfather was telling me the truth or not. Over the years, I've grown to trust him and that whatever he says is the truth. But I could easily tell if he was trying to cover up something that he didn't want me to worry about. He shouldn't be doing that anyway. We made a promise.

"Bruce--" I walked toward him.

"Sarah," My godfather gave me a stern look. "Don't worry. I'm all right,"

"Something happened last night, didn't it?" I didn't buy it. "While you were getting Crane..."

For a moment, Bruce looked at me, wondering if he should try to say it was nothing I needed to worry about some more, or tell me what happened. I just stared back at him with a blank expression, waiting for him to answer.

"All right" he finally said, sighing. "...It was a rottweiler,"

...OK...

"You were bit by a dog?" I raised an eyebrow. "Bruce, don't you think you're--"

"It bit through the skin and I had to stitch the wound up,"

"...Can I see?"

Hesitantly, Bruce rolled up his sleeve a little, and held out his arm to show me the damage. I had to resist the urge to let my eyes grow wide, or even grimace the tiniest bit. The wound must of been really bad. Gently, I laid the tips of my fingers on the black stitches on his muscular arm. Then there was a bit of silence.

"Why didn't you want to tell me?" I asked after a bit.

"I didn't want you to--" Bruce tried to explain.

"Bruce..." I stopped him, finally looking up at him. "You promised..."

I have to say, it kind of hurt me that he would keep something like this from me. Granted I shouldn't be talking. I didn't tell him that Edgar was abusing me and Josh last year because I didn't want him to worry either. But that was a year ago. I've learned my lesson. Now I tell Bruce almost everything that goes on with my life.

He could tell that his attempt to lie to me hurt my feelings, and his face fell into an expression of regret.

"You're right," he admitted. "You're right. I did promise. We said we wouldn't keep any secrets from each other, and I didn't hold up my end of the deal. I'm sorry,"

"...It's OK..." I forgave him.

For another while, we were both quiet. But there was something else that was kind of bothering me. I knew Bruce would tell me there was nothing to worry about if I talked to him about it, but I couldn't help but feel like something wrong was going to happen...

"Hey Bruce, can I talk to you about something?"

"About what?" he asked as he finished buttoning the cuffs of his sleeves.

"Well," I took a deep breath. "We ran into Haley Kingston at the mall today, and she said that if I show up at the dance tonight, she'll humiliate me,"

"You know," Bruce gave me a look that said "Is _that_ what's bothering you?". "I never really understood what started the problem between the two of you,"

"Honestly, neither do I," I sat myself down on the bottom step of the staircase. "I mean, all I did was throw a dodge ball at her so she could get caught with a cell phone in class...OK, so, I threw it at her when she was already out, but still, I expected her to throw a mild temper-tantrum,"

"Relax," Bruce tried to calm me down as he put on his nice suit jacket. "You're driving yourself crazy,"

"I know, I know, but--" I sighed. "Bruce, you're always telling me to be careful no matter what situation I'm in..."

I can't tell you how many times Bruce would always tell me that, other than he said it so much, there were times when I actually heard it in my sleep. Sometimes my godfather can be a little overprotective, but then I have to understand why: I guess it had something to do with my almost drowning to death in the Gotham River last year. That did kind of spook him out of his wits...

"...All right," he finally said. "I'll tell you what: If anything happens tonight, give me a call, and I'll come pick you up,"

"But," I was confused. "What about your date with that prima ballerina? You know, the one from the Moscow Ballet?"

"Don't worry about it," Bruce reassured me, then he gave me a curious smile. "...And how did you know I was having a date with the prima ballerina?"

"I figured it out when we went last week and you stuck around after the show," I replied, smiling back.

"Miss Sarah," Alfred came into the living room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you know that your friend, Miss Allison, is an impatient young lady?"

I rolled my eyes a little. For as long as I've been friends with Ally, she was always more impatient than a toddler could be. I could picture her now: Hands on her hips, her foot tapping repeatedly.

"**_Ugh_**," I groaned. "They weren't supposed to get me for another ten minutes,"

"Well," Alfred gave a small smile. "I suppose that, given the fact that you were late for shopping this morning, your friends arrived early to make sure you were ready,"

"I am," I got out of my seat, giving Bruce a quick hug. "I'll see you later, Bruce,"

"Bye," he said, returning the hug before letting me go. "Have fun. Be home before midnight,"

"Sure," Then I gave him another grin as I headed toward the elevator. "_You_ be home before dawn,"

* * *

**_(A/N: Finally! After almost a month I get this chapter up. Review please! And thanks in advance. Lol )_**


	4. Always Mind Your Surroundings

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

A normal school dance would take place in the gymnasium with tables displaying bowls of sweets, soda, water, and punch. On the sides, there would probably be a few chairs set up for people to sit down if they got tired of dancing, or for the very few who just came to the dance to sit down and not socialize at all. The music would probably be pre-approved by the principal and have chaperone's stationed around various spots around the room.

But in the life I had in the Fancy World of Gotham, normal was not to be tolerated.

Our school dance, as I said before, was at Gotham City Park and it started as soon as it got dark. That's when everything turned into a dance club for kids our age. A huge part of the park had been reserved for a dance floor that would light up periodically underneath our feet, and a wide stage where the DJ would play loud and outrageous music we all listened to. Not only was there candy, soda, water, and punch laid out for us to eat, but there was even pizza, chocolate pudding, cubes of cheese, chips, basically anything that would make our mouths water and our stomach's growl in hunger. It's mostly students dancing and jumping around when we arrive. The only adults that were there were the ones who would open the doors for us so we could get out of the limos, and check to see if any of the upper-class students brought any alcohol or drugs.

My friends and I arrived at the dance about 10 minutes after I left the Penthouse.

Ally was wearing a silver, glittery dress with spaghetti straps and a sash that tied around the back, complete with strappy silver heals that had rhinestones on them. Her brunette hair was curled and twisted halfway up.

Kayla had a green taffeta dress with black flocked roses, a black velveteen waistband, and a black lace trim. She told me it was a replica of the exact same dress some actress wore in a book-turned-movie that she was madly in love with, and that's why she bought it. Her hair, which was now brunette (For some reason, she dyed her red hair on a whim after I left to go meet Bruce at work), was let out of its usual pigtails and allowed to fall past her shoulders in waves. She wore her converse tennis shoes as footwear. Allison noticed when we were back in the limo and was totally embarrassed.

Celia was a bit more simple, like I was. She was wearing a strapless, black and white gingham dress with a black bow in the front, and black strappy heals. Instead of her black rectangular glasses she usually wore, she was wearing her clear contacts instead so she could dance without worry of her glasses falling off and someone stepping on them. Her black hair with the purple streak in a lock was also in curls.

As we walked to where the dance was in the middle of the park, Celia could not stop looking so awe-struck. Ally and I glanced at each other and smiled a little for a brief moment. She looked like she was a kid who was on a trip to Santa Claus's workshop in the North Pole. Kayla just grinned at her best friend and shook her head as she placed an arm around Celia's shoulders, giggling a little.

"_Oh_," Celia found her voice. "_**My**_. _**Gosh**_. _This_ is what you guys call a school dance?"

"Pretty cool, huh?" I asked her with a smile.

I could see in Celia's excited blue eyes that she still couldn't believe all that was around us.

"I expected at least a really awesome DJ," she confessed. "I didn't know there would be strobe-lights and camera crews."

All of a sudden, Ally, Kayla and I stopped in our tracks, and looked at Celia in confusion.

"_What_?" we asked in unison.

"OK," Kayla took a step back to look at Ally and I. "Why do we have a camera crew at the dance?"

"I don't know..." Ally answered.

My best friend took a moment to look at the dance floor before us. We had just now noticed the people dressed in black with heavy cameras on their shoulders. I was as puzzled as Kayla was. Usually, these dances were private. No publicity whatsoever. That's what I liked about our school dances the most. I can go to them without fear of being tracked down by reporters or any other person of the kind who had an unquenchable thirst for gossip. Which is a bit ironic...

"It looks like _Gotham Gossip_ is here," Ally came back to our group after figuring out who was there.

"_Gotham Gossip_?!" Kayla was now excited. "Oh my gosh, I_** love**_ that show!"

"What's _Gotham Gossip_?" I asked, my eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Ally looked at me like I was from another planet. So did Kayla.

"Hello!" Ally said it in a way that it should be obvious. "Only one of the coolest shows in the city!"

"Hardly," Celia begged to differ. "It just gives the latest scoop on anyone famous, especially in Gotham,"

"And the latest fashions, trends, music, movies, and bunch of other stuff. I can't believe you've never seen it, Sarah!"

"Well," I shrugged. "How long has it been on the air?"

"Almost a month," Kayla explained to me. "The only thing I hate about it is that Haley was the one who thought of the show,"

It was a good thing I wasn't eating anything at that moment. If I had been swallowing it, I would've choked until my face turned blue. I looked at Kayla, my mouth open a little as I stared at her for a silent moment.

"You're kidding," I said, still staring at her.

She _**had**_ to be kidding! This was Kayla! The queen of pranks and jokes all around in the City of Gotham. She just had to be pulling my leg here!

"Sorry," Kayla said as if she read my mind. "Not this time,"

Kayla's voice sounded sorry that she had to tell me that she wasn't kidding. I took a moment to think about the situation now, and remembering Haley's little threat she made to me at the mall today.

Haley Kingston.

_Gotham Gossip_'s camera crew here at the school dance.

Me, the Princess of Gotham, here to have a good time...

"...Something isn't right here..." I spoke my last thought in a soft voice.

"What do you mean?" Ally heard me.

I thought about what was going on again. Somehow, it all made a bit of sense, but it was hard to put it in the right words to explain for some reason...

"I'm not sure..." I finally answered.

"Well," Celia sighed and spoke in an optimistic voice. "I think there's nothing to worry about. Come on, let's go on the dance floor! They're playing one of my favorite songs!"

With a smile on her face, Celia took off running to the dance floor as soon as The All-American Rejects "Dirty Little Secret" started blaring through the speakers.

"I'm in!" Kayla shouted, sprinting after her.

Ally and I started running the second after Kayla did, with smiles on our faces, and the uneasiness of Haley Kingston with the camera crew suddenly gone for but a little while.

"Wait for us!" we exclaimed as we caught up with Kayla and Celia.

"All right Gotham City Private!" shouted the DJ on his headset microphone as we made out way to the front of the dance-floor. "I wanna see you guys jumping around to this one! I wanna see you guys have fun out there, now are you ready for this?!"

The crowd cheered in favor to have the most fun we've ever had in a long time. Ally, Kayla, Celia, and I wrapped our arms around each others shoulders so that we were together in a chain, and started jumping around while we sang along to the song at the top of our lungs as loud as we could. Smiles on our faces, our hearts racing a mile a minute...Right now, almost everything in my life seemed absolutely perfect, and I never wanted that feeling to end for as long as I lived.

**_Let me know that I've done wrong when I've known this all along._**

**_I go around a time or two just to waste my time with you._**

**_Tell me all that you've thrown away._**

**_Find out games you don't wanna play._**

Suddenly, I felt Kayla's arm slip away from around my shoulders. Getting strands of hair that had fallen out of place from my headband away from my face thanks to all the dancing and jumping around, I was able to catch my wild friend race up to the stage. The crowd started cheering more, encouraging Kayla's little performance as the DJ handed her the microphone so she could get ready for the chorus.

**_You are the only one that needs to know._**

"Kayla!" Ally shouted as loud as she could. "What are you doing up there?"

Ally's cries were then drowned out by the crowd's loud cheering and Kayla's singing the chorus into the microphone, jumping around to the beat of the music.

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret (Dirty little secret)._**

"Ci-Ci! Ally! Sarah!" Kayla quickly shouted at us through the microphone. "Get up here with me!"

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)._**

Wondering what we should do, I glanced at Ally and Celia, who looked at me as if I had the answer that would solve everything...

...I smiled.

"Let's go," I said, heading up for the stage.

Ally and Celia smiled at me in return and we climbed up on the stage, thanks to the help of some of our classmates who were nearby. Kayla looked pleased when she saw that we were coming up to join her. I admit, I was happy to do it. I could tell that this was going to be way more fun than just dancing on the dance-floor.

"Yeah!" shouted the DJ. "All right, now we've got ourselves a show!"

**_My dirty little secret._**

**_Who has to know?_**

After Kayla had finished the chorus, she tossed the microphone to Celia, letting her take over part of the next verse.

**_When we live such fragile lives, it's the best way we survive._**

**_I go around a time or two just to waste my time with you._**

She then turned the microphone to Ally, who was jumping up and down close to her.

**_Tell me all that you've thrown away._**

**_Find out games you don't wanna play._**

**_You are the only one that needs to know._**

By the time I got close to my friends in the small huddle, all of us sang the chorus together, smiling at each other while we gave our little show.

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret (Dirty little secret)._**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)._**

**_My dirty little secret._**

**_Who has to know?_**

Suddenly, the microphone was put into my hands, and before I made an attempt to give it back, my friends had pushed me to the center of the stage in front of the entire student body of Gotham City Private. They wanted me to sing the bridge part of the song.

**_The way she feels inside (Inside)._**

**_Those thoughts I can't deny (Deny)._**

**_These sleeping thoughts won't lie (Won't lie)._**

**_And all I've tried to hide, it's eating me apart._**

For the last part of the bridge, I put a hand on the back of my head, tilted it backward, and shouted into the microphone with all I had in me.

**_Trace this life back!_**

Everyone in the crowd started cheering again, and I started dancing more wild than I ever had before. More wild than when I would dance to music in the privacy of my room. Bobbing my head up and down while jumping around with my friends. Green, purple, and yellow strobe-lights started waving their colors in the starry night around us.

**_(Instrumental break)_**

"Gotham City Private!" the DJ shouted into his headset microphone again. "Give it up one last time for the lovely Ally Farris, the daring Kayla March, her cool-ness Celia Henderson, and your very own awesome Princess of Gotham, Sarah Chante! Ladies, end this song with a bang!"

So we did.

My friends and I wrapped our arms around each other in a huddle again, singing along one last time

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret (Dirty little secret)._**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret)._**

As the song grew more louder, we grew more energetic. Pumping our fists in the air as jumped up and down again, we gave all that we had to finish what Kayla had started in a strong way.

**_I'll keep you my dirty little secret (Dirty little secret)._**

**_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)._**

**_My dirty little secret._**

**_Dirty little secret!_**

**_Dirty little secret!_**

**_Who has to know?!_**

**_Who has to know?!_**

After our little performance was over, the only sound we heard were the waves of all the students who went to Gotham City Private screaming, shouting, and cheering for the little stunt we did. I looked at my friends, and we pulled each other in a small group hug, laughing with red faces, not entirely believing what we had just done.

I thought that if _Gotham Gossip_ wanted something to gossip about, then this was what they should report on.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the downtown area of Gotham City, two of the most famous men in the city were dining together at the Ocelot with their dates: Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne.

There they were in the middle of the restaurant, conversing with one another like it was no big deal. Rachel Dawes sat in between Harvey and Bruce while Bruce's date, Natasha, the Prima Ballerina for the Moscow Ballet, sat on the other side of the table.

The Ocelot was one of Gotham City's newest dining sensation, attracting it's target customers with various kinds of food: French, Thai, and even St. Louis barbecue. The food was great as the restaurant was beautiful. After all, Bruce was the one who owned the place.

He knew that Rachel and Harvey were trying to have dinner here for the past three weeks, so he had a little plan. Stall Dent's reservation, obtain a dinner date with a very beautiful woman, and have the date happen the same time the district attorney wanted. And all of this was done for Rachel's attention.

It wasn't like he was trying to make Rachel jealous or anything...He just wanted to see her. To be close to her...He liked having her around him. He liked having his heart skip a beat whenever she would steal a glance at him.

For hours, the four sat at the table talking to each other, drinking delicious red wine out of crystal glass goblets, and scotch for the men. It was near eleven at night when this particular discussion came up.

"How could you want to raise children in a city like this?" Natasha inquired.

"Well I--," Bruce tried to keep from being too cocky while maintaining his playboy image. "I was raised here. I turned out OK. I'm raising my goddaughter here. She's doing a lot better than me,"

"Is Wayne Manor in the city limits?" Harvey Dent interrupted with a joking smile before Bruce could continue.

"Is--?" Bruce then stopped before he could finish his question.

Rachel looked at Harvey almost in a disapproving way, but she relaxed when Bruce chuckled a little, realizing that Dent was only trying to make a little joke. It was no secret that Wayne Manor had been burned down almost a year ago immediately after Bruce's 30th birthday party and before the Narrows was attacked with Crane's fear toxin...

But what really caused the historic manor to burn down was a secret kept only between Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox, Rachel Dawes, and Sarah Chante.

"The Palisades?" he asked Dent with that charming playboy smile. "Sure. You know, as our new D.A., you might want to figure out, uh, where your jurisdiction ends,"

Natasha shook her head.

"I'm talking about the kind of city that idolizes a masked vigilante," she explained.

"Gotham City is proud of an ordinary citizen standing up for what's right," Dent defended the issue of Batman.

"Gotham needs heroes like _you_," Natasha tried to persuade Harvey to see her side. "Elected officials. Not a man who thinks he's above the law,"

"Exactly," Bruce pretended to agree with Natasha, acting like the whole idea of Batman was a complete joke. "Who appointed the Batman?"

"**_We_** did," Harvey explained. "All of us who stood by and let scum take control of our city,"

"But this is a _**democracy**_, Harvey," Natasha.

Harvey Dent could tell that Natasha would not understand what Batman was doing for the city of Gotham was a really good thing. Nevertheless, he continued to try to make his point.

"When their enemies were at the gates," he leaned forward on the table, folding his hands."The Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. And it wasn't considered an honor--it was considered a public service,"

"Harvey," Rachel smiled and leaned closer to Harvey, laughing a bit as she finished her sentence. "The last man that they appointed to protect the republic was named Caesar, and he never gave up his power,"

"OK, fine...You either _die_ a hero, or you _live_ long enough to see yourself become the villain. Look, whoever the Batman is, he doesn't want to do this for the rest of his life. How could he? Batman is looking for someone to take up his mantle,"

At this point, Bruce, who had been quiet as he listened to Harvey talk about the Batman, stole a look at Rachel. She glanced back with a discreet but uneasy expression on her face. In milliseconds, he could tell all the things that she was thinking to herself:

_"Be careful when you're out there, Bruce"_

_"Please don't do this for very long,"_

_"I hope you're not thinking that Sarah willl take up this mantle,"_

Sarah.

Before she found out it was actually her godfather, Batman was the one person who would come to Sarah when she needed help, or just needed someone to talk to. He was the one person who made her feel safe to sleep at night. But lately, Bruce had been a little concerned about his goddaughter.

Over the past few weeks, when he would go out as the Dark Knight and fight Gotham's criminals, Bruce would sometimes fly back to the Penthouse for a second to see how things were doing while he wasn't home. His usual landing place was the balcony outside of Sarah's room. Every weekend, or on a night when there would be no school the next day, it never failed to surprise Bruce when he would find his goddaughter fast asleep in one of the lounge chairs. At first, he thought she was just tired and didn't want to get up and out of her chair to go to bed, but then he realized she only came out on the balcony when Gordon would turn on the light that would show the shadow of a bat into the darkening clouds.

When he would carry her inside to her room, and tuck her into bed, he would always stand over her for a moment thinking a few things:

Had Sarah really forgotten about her friendship with the Batman?

Why does she come out to the balcony and stay there into the late hours of the night whenever the signal came on?

...Did she want to take up Batman's mantle, even though she probably knew that it wasn't the kind of life Bruce wanted for her?

Natasha brought Bruce out of his thoughts as she continued the conversation.

"Someone like _you_, Mr. Dent?" she asked, a smile creeping at the corner of her lips.

Dent seemed to think about it for a small moment before answering.

"Maybe," he replied. "If I'm up to it,"

"What if Harvey Dent _is_ the Caped Crusader?" Natasha joked with a smile.

She took a small paper menu and held it in front of Dent's eyes so they could only see his mouth, pretending for a moment that Harvey Dent was the Batman. Bruce watched this quietly, thinking again...

...Maybe...Just maybe...Dent could be the one to finish what Batman started a year ago.

As Natasha took the menu away from Dent's face, he resisted a chuckle and smiled a little.

"If I were sneaking out every night," Harvey turned to look at Rachel in a loving way. "Someone would've noticed by now,"

Bruce saw Rachel return Dent's love for her by holding his hand. A part of him wished he hadn't seen it, but then he remembered what Rachel had said to him a year ago.

_"Your real face is the one that criminals now fear. The man I loved...The man who vanished...He never came back at all...But maybe he's still out there somewhere...Maybe someday when Gotham no longer needs Batman, I'll see him again,"._

That was it.

That was the answer to fixing everything. If this went well, then there would be a better life for everyone in Gotham, including him and Sarah. He would wait for a while longer before he would stop being Batman and let Dent take control of protecting the city. That would only take a few weeks. Then Rachel would be able to love him as much as he loved her. And, he didn't want to get too hopeful, but he could see the two of them married in the near future...With a daughter...

He could see them adopting Sarah as their daughter. Not just a goddaughter. A daughter. Rachel would be her mother. Bruce would be her father. The three of them would be a family.

"...Well," Bruce finally said. "I'm sold. Dent, I'm gonna throw you a fundraiser,"

"That's nice of you Bruce," Harvey started. "But I'm not up for election for three years,"

"No, you don't understand," Bruce shook his head. "One fundraiser with my pals...You'll never need another cent,"

Dent seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. After another moment of silence, Rachel turned to Bruce with a small smile.

"So Bruce," she said. "How's Sarah doing?"

Bruce looked back at Rachel and smiled a little as he thought about how to answer. Rachel hadn't spent time with Sarah for a few weeks now, due to work and, of course, dating Harvey Dent. The two of them were going to have a nice Sunday brunch the next day to catch up...Bruce only hoped that Sarah was ready to meet Harvey Dent as much as he was...

"She's doing good," he answered. "She's actually at a dance with her friends from school,"

"That sounds fun," Dent commented with a smile.

"It does...Hm..."

Rachel suddenly had this look on her face. It was the type of look a mother would get when watching her child grow up: Happiness, excitement, and sadness all mixed together. Even Bruce couldn't believe that Sarah was growing up, forget the fact that he had only been her legal guardian for almost a year now.

Both of them were thinking how bittersweet Sarah's thirteenth birthday was going to be. It would be a happy occasion, yes, but it would be Sarah's first birthday celebration without her parents, Bruce and Rachel's dear friends, Luke and Jennifer Chante.

"I can't believe that she's turning thirteen," she finally said, expressing what she was thinking with a smile. "Her birthday's a week and a half away, and I don't know what to get her,"

"I was kind of hoping you would," Bruce couldn't help but smile back. "She never told you what she wanted for her birthday?"

"No," Rachel shook her head, still smiling. "She hasn't said anything...But knowing her, she'd want to go out there and fight bad guys,"

The small discussion about the Princess of Gotham's supposed desire to fight Gotham's criminals alongside the Batman made Harvey Dent chuckle a bit, and Bruce feel a little anxious at the thought...

"You think she would?" Harvey asked Rachel.

"She would," Rachel replied. "...She has too much of her mother in her,"

"...She does," Bruce softly agreed.

* * *

After hours of dancing around to the loud music that blared through the speakers across the park, my friends and I finally gave up the fight against our parched throats, heated heads, and aching feet. I guess Kayla was smart to wear her converse shoes after all, even though she couldn't bring herself to keep on dancing.

Finally, a slow song came on, and as couples moved toward each others arms, Kayla turned toward us.

"OK," she said through gulps of air. "I'm tired. Anyone else?"

"Yeah," Ally, Celia, and I all said in tired, scattered voices.

"Let's get a drink of water," Ally suggested.

We moved away from the dance floor and to the table where they had bottles of water, small cups of punch, and soda cans set up. Besides, we always took a rest during the slow dances anyway. There weren't any boys we were interested in to dance with at all. Not because we didn't find anyone good-looking or nice or anything like that. I guess it was the fact that we weren't ready to like boys yet.

I smiled to myself as I took a sip out of some bottled water. I wonder how Bruce would react when I start liking a boy. Would he be all protective and stuff like that? Would he be totally mellow with it?...

Even though I can't tell what Bruce is thinking most of the time, I think the answer would be pretty clear.

When I get old enough to date, my godfather would definitely be very protective.

Speaking of Bruce, I remembered him telling me that I should be home by midnight, so I grabbed my small black purse that I hid underneath one of the drink tables and took a look at the time on my cell phone. It was almost eleven. I probably should go and find the others and remind them of my curfew...Where'd they go, anyway?...

All of a sudden, I was happily greeted by Veronica Simmons.

"Hi Sarah!" she said in a perky voice.

I jumped a little because she startled me, but then I gave her a small smile. Veronica was dressed in pink spaghetti strap dress that went to her knees, and had put sheer glitter all over her arms to make her stand out a little in the crowd. Her blond hair was in a very cute ponytail, and she looked like she had taken off her shoes so that would be able to dance longer.

"Hey Veronica," I said, trying to make conversation. "Having fun?"

"Uh-huh" But then, Veronica suddenly gasped and quickly changed her answer. "I mean, no. I'm not,"

...And Bruce thought I was a bad liar...

"...OK," I set my water bottle down on the table, deciding to play along. "What's the problem?"

"Uh," Veronica. "It's Haley! She's in big trouble! Really big trouble,"

Up until just now, I had forgotten about Haley...Does she really think I'm going to fall for this?

"...Uh-huh..." I replied in a tone that just had to tell Veronica that I wasn't buying this crap at all.

"And you're a nice person," Veronica kept talking. "You'd help anyone who's in trouble, right?"

"Well, I--"

"Oh, you're a saint! An angel! Hurry! Haley really needs your help!"

Before I could say anything more, Veronica grabbed my arm, and quickly pulled me away from the dance-floor out into a dark area of Gotham City Park near some trees and bushes. I never knew she could move so fast, but I was still confused as to what was going on. A few moments later, Veronica abruptly stopped by a few trees that bordered the park. I almost tripped over my own two feet when she did.

"Wait here," she then told me as she headed in the other direction, leaving me. "I'll go and get her,"

...**_Go and get her?_**...

You have _**got**_ to be kidding me here...

Sighing to myself, I folded my arms and waited for Veronica to get back with Haley. Let me tell you, this was a complete waste of my time. I should be back at the dance floor with my friends, spending all the time I had left dancing before it was time for me to go and make my curfew. Looking at my watch again, I got a little wide-eyed. I realized that I wasn't going to have much time dancing again, depending on how long Haley was going to keep this up.

All of a sudden, Bruce's constant words of warning repeated itself over and over again:

_"Be careful no matter what situation you're in, Sarah"_

I sighed again, this time in a little frustration. Haley was really getting on my case with keeping me waiting.

"All right, Haley," I said out loud to no one in particular, but I knew that Haley was somewhere out there listening. "If you just wanted to talk , you could've just said so, OK? You didn't need Veronica to make up a stupid damsel-in-distress story for you,"

There is a saying that Bruce is annoyed by, but he admits that it is good advice. His mentor from the League of Shadows, a man who was known as Ra's Al Ghul, always told him this when my godfather was in the mountains in China.

_"Always mind your surroundings"_

...Let's just say that this would've been a very good time for Bruce to give me that advice.

The next thing I knew, something heavy and gloppy fell on top of me. Upon impact, I had momentarily shut my eyes, but when I opened them, I saw what the damage was. Someone, who must've been on one of the branches of the tree above me, had apparently taken the whole bowl of chocolate pudding from the snack table and dumped it on top of me. I was covered in the stuff from head to toe. At first, I was in a little bit of shock, then I had the nerve to think that it was a good thing no one else had seen it...

...Boy...Was I seriously dead wrong...

Looking up to the sound of laughter, I saw Haley Kingston right in front of me in a shimmery gold spaghetti strapped dress that went to her knees, her hair straightened to the point where it looked like it was fake. Right next to her was a guy with a camera resting on his shoulders, focused on me.

Oh no.

_Gotham Gossip_.

"Oh," Haley couldn't stop laughing, a smug grin on her face. "Revenge is so sweet. Especially when it's caught on camera,"

I said nothing as I flicked some chocolate pudding off my arms, glaring at Haley when she turned to the cameraman.

"Nice work boys," she said. "You can head back to the studio now. Tell J.J. I said hi,"

_Gotham_ _Gossip_'s camera crew left without any questions or hesitation. Still, I glared her, my face feeling a little warm, my eyes hard and unfeeling...There was enough chocolate pudding on me to gather up into a ball and throw some at her. But my conscious got in the way. If there was one thing in this world that I would rather die than do was to sink to a level that was lower than Haley Kingston. So I took my attack silently. The damage was done. It was all in the past now. There was nothing I could do to change it.

Soon, I heard my friends come running up behind me as they found me far from the dance floor. I didn't turn around to greet them or anything...There was this small bit of humiliation growing inside of me. I didn't want to look my friends in the eyes looking like the way I did at the time.

"Oh my gosh!" Ally sounded surprised and furious at the same time. "What the heck did you do, Haley?"

"Jeez," Celia commented as she stood next to me, taking out a few paper napkins from her purse and began wiping the pudding off of my face like a concerned mother. "You _**are**_ evil,"

I should've expected Kayla to be a little bit vengeful. I knew she was behind Ally, Celia, and I, but when I saw her, she was lunging toward Haley. A bit surprised, I took a step back and watched Ally and Celia take action, each taking a hold of Kayla's arms, holding her back, about a few inches away from where Haley stood.

"Let me at her!" Kayla yelled, struggling against Ally and Celia's grip on her. "I'll rip her hair out in chunks!"

"Kayla, don't!" I finally shouted.

For a moment, there was silence. Kayla had stopped fighting Ally and Celia, and my three friends turned and looked at me. They found me staring back at them with a look that said: "We shouldn't be acting like this. It's what she wants". As soon as I saw that they were beginning to settle down a little, I looked back at Haley, giving her one last glare.

"...She's not worth it," I finished.

After having said what I wanted to say, I turned on my heel and started to walk away from the scene. I had no intention to look back. No intention to speak to anyone about what happened.

"Sarah--" Ally started to come after me.

"I need to be alone, Ally," I interrupted in a soft voice, but loud enough for my friend to hear.

But Haley had to say one more thing to pull me down a little further than where I already was.

"Aw," she mocked, her voice imitating that of a toddler. "Is the little princess gonna go cry to her dead mommy and daddy?"

That made me stop where I was. I may have been yards away from the scene, but I heard those words loud and clear.

...Mom and Dad...

I clenched my jaw to keep a sob from sounding.

My eyes squeezed shut to keep the tears from flowing.

My hands balled up into fists, and I turned my head to the side a little to help resist the temptation of just letting myself cry...

Within seconds, the urge to show the pain I was feeling went away, and I continued walking away while hearing my friends finish the fight with Haley Kingston.

* * *

For the next twenty minutes, I sat alone in the play area of Gotham City Park, sitting on an empty swing set, going slowly back and forth. My hands gripped the chains that held the seat of my swing on both sides. Staring at the dark, dirt floor, I fiddled with my heart-shaped golden locket that hung around my neck...

My parents gave that locket to me when I was little. When they died, it became the one thing that kept them truly alive in my heart...To this day, it still is.

Not too far away, I heard the dance starting to die down, and people getting ready to leave. Ally, Celia, and Kayla tried to get me to come back and enjoy the rest of the party earlier, but I told them that I would rather be left alone with my thoughts, and asked them to come get me when the time came to go home.

"Sarah?"

I looked up a bit at the sound of a familiar voice, and saw my godfather walking at a fast pace toward me. His steel-grey Lamborghini Murcielago was parked at the curb a few feet from where I sat on the swing set. No one was in the passenger seat. His date must've already been back at the hotel she was staying at.

At first, I didn't know what he was doing here, and how he was able to know where I would be. Then I saw from the corner of my eye my little black bag in his hand, and understood. Ally or Kayla must have called my godfather. I didn't know whether or not he knew why they called. Knowing him, he probably hung up on them and immediately drove over here as soon as the mere mention of me getting into trouble was heard.

Still covered in blotches of chocolate pudding, I couldn't bring myself to look at Bruce when he crouched down in front of me. I could feel his concerned expression stare at me when he saw what a mess I was.

"What happened?" Bruce asked me sternly, but softly.

I just wanted that night to be over. I didn't want to bring up the past again. That would only make things worse.

"I don't want to talk about it..." I simply said, still not looking at my godfather.

Bruce didn't say anything to try and make me confess to him about what happened. Instead, he took out a handkerchief from the inside of his suit pocket and gently wiped away spots of chocolate pudding away from my face that Celia missed when she did the same to me earlier. For a while, it was silent. Then, after two minutes, Bruce took off his suit jacket and draped it around my shoulders to protect me from the slightly cold wind that was blowing. Pulling me up to my feet, he wrapped an arm around me, letting me try to hide myself close to him while he led me to the car.

"Come on," he said to me in a soft voice. "Let's get you home,"

* * *

Fifteen minutes after Bruce received a call from Ally Farris informing him that something happened to Sarah, he had his goddaughter in the front seat of his Lamborghini, wrapped up in his suit jacket, and covered in what looked like chocolate pudding. Truth be told, he didn't know what happened exactly, but something told him that Haley Kingston had a part in all of this. Though the drive from Gotham City Park to the Penthouse was a short one, the silence had prolonged the trip. Many times, Bruce casted concerned glances over at Sarah. The whole drive, she stared out the passenger window, and Bruce was immediately reminded of Sarah's first day at Gotham City Private, when she had gotten into a fight with Josh Mason, ending up with a bloody nose. A bloody nose could heal, this was obvious, but Bruce wasn't sure if an emotional and mental scar, like the one Sarah had received at the dance that night, would be able to heal fully.

As soon as they got to the parking garage at Gotham Century Towers where the Penthouse was, Bruce helped Sarah out of the car and let her hang onto him as they went up to the top floor in the elevator. For a few moments, they stood there quietly, with Bruce's arm over his goddaughter shoulders, comforting as best as he could. When they finally reached the Penthouse, however, just as soon as the elevator doors opened, Sarah broke into a run, heading up the stairs to her room, letting her godfather's suit jacket fall from her shoulders and onto the floor.

"Sarah, wait," Bruce called up to her as he bent down to pick up the fallen jacket.

"Master Wayne," Alfred came up Bruce as soon as they walked in through the door. "I think there's something you should see,"

Bruce's eyes followed the path to where Alfred was pointing toward the flat screen television in the living room. On the screen was showing a live episode of Gotham City's newest reality show _Gotham Gossip_, hosted by a woman named J.J. Fort, who was a little plump and had green dye tipped at the ends of her black hair. As soon as he saw what was on the television, Bruce was immediately worried. Whatever happened to Sarah at the dance that night was obviously plotted to be caught on camera. Usually, Sarah did a pretty good job staying out of the paparazzi camera flashes and the media's spying cameras. Tonight, however, her luck had changed.

A frown already beginning to show, Bruce turned up the volume on the television a little bit, and he and Alfred listened to what J.J. Fort of _Gotham Gossip_ had to say about the incident.

"_Before we end our show tonight_," J.J. Fort sweetly smiled a far-too-sweet grin at the camera. "_We have a very special treat for you on_ Gotham Gossip_. Some of you may know that I am a personal friend of celebrity teen, Haley Kingston. Well, tonight at Gotham City Private's most extravagant school dance at Gotham City Park, she and her rival, --Princess of Gotham, Sarah Chante--, butted heads. Who won?...Duh! Haley Kingston. About an hour before the dance ended, our city's 'favorite' Princess didn't look as royal as she usually looked when Haley and a few of _Gotham Gossip_'s crew teamed up and dumped a five-gallon bowl of the thickest chocolate pudding!_"

Bruce's frown grew more as they showed footage of the chocolate pudding being dumped on his goddaughter. However, he remained calm. And he was glad to see that Sarah kept her cool too.

"_Wow_," J.J. said as the footage ended. "_That has got to be the coolest prank I have ever seen. Nice work, Haley! Love ya, girl! So, is Princess Sarah going to strike back? We'll be on the look-out for more of Haley Kingston against Sarah Chante. Until then, keep your eyes and ears open, and your cell phone always ready to call us with the latest gossip in Gotham City. I'm J.J. Fort, and this has been another exciting episode of_ Gotham Gossip_. Good night everyone_!"

"Alfred," Bruce started to go up the stairs, hands in his pockets. "Do me a favor and get me the number of the studio that airs _Gotham Gossip_. I'm gonna go talk to Sarah,"

"Certainly sir," Alfred nodded.

* * *

As soon as I had gotten up to my room when I finally came home, the first thing I did was rush to the bathroom, and tried to get all of the chocolate pudding out of my hair. Some of it had already dried up in the depths of my hair, so it was kind of hard to get out. After about 10 minutes of scrubbing my scalp, I was satisfied that I had gotten it off, so I finally finished, and changed into my pink pajama bottoms and white tank top to get ready to crawl into my bed, leaving my dirty clothes in the hamper.

Quietly, I climbed onto my bed on top of the covers, my hair still dripping wet, where drops of water landed on my shoulder and my pillow. I curled up into a little ball as I rested on my side, tugging at the corner of my pillow, staring out the window that led outside to my balcony. I didn't feel like going out there tonight. What was the point? Besides, I was tired anyway.

"Sarah," I heard my godfather come into my room. "Are you OK?"

Oh no, not Bruce. I should've known he would want to talk about what happened tonight. Nevertheless, I didn't look at him, hoping that he would get the message that the last thing I wanted to do was talk.

"Yeah," I replied in a quiet voice.

I knew Bruce got my message, but then I also knew how stubborn he could be when it came to my safety, no matter how small the danger was.

"Sarah," Bruce said more sternly, sitting down on the bed next to where I laid, his back resting against the headboard. "Tell me what happened,"

"Bruce," I curled up in my ball a little more, begging my godfather in a tired tone. "Please don't make me tell you, OK? I'd rather not,"

"...I already know what happened, Sarah. I just wanted to hear your side,"

That kind of ticked me off. I would have yelled out in frustration, but that would be totally uncalled for. Instead, I groaned out loud into my pillow.

"Why?" I asked in an upset way. "_Why_ would she embarrass me like that? I mean, all I did was knock her cell phone out of her hands because she was breaking the rules. You always told me it doesn't matter who it is and that if they broke a rule, they broke it, right?"

"You're right," Bruce replied.

"...So...What did I do wrong?"

I heard Bruce give out a heavy sigh when I asked that. He let the conversation hang in the air silently for a few moments.

"Come here," he said to me softly.

Feeling an arm gently take a hold around my upper body, I let Bruce pull me up into a sitting position and close to him. He held my head against his chest, stroking the wet strands of hair on my head like he always did. Once again, I felt safe in one of my favorite places in the world.

"You didn't do anything wrong against Haley Kingston, Sarah," he finally told me.

"Then how do you explain the chocolate pudding in my hair?" I asked him, upset still.

"Let me finish...Sometimes people do bad things to good people for no reasonable explanation. Haley did this to you because you are a good person who reminds her of all the flaws she has,"

"...Oh," I rolled my eyes, speaking sarcastically. "I thought she did this to me because I'm more famous than her, or I have more money than her,"

I started to get a little angry then.

"You know," I pulled myself away from Bruce's grasp. "Sometimes I wish she would just grow up and get over herself! I mean, she has to realize that the entire world doesn't revolve around her!"

"Shh," Bruce wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me back to his chest. "Calm down. You're going to make yourself exhausted dwelling on this,"

"But I'm not,"

Bruce gave me another one of his infamous stern looks. Tell the truth, it seemed to say.

"OK," I sighed, giving in as I looked down at my hands. "Maybe I am...But that still doesn't change the fact that I had chocolate pudding dumped on me by the gallon...And the fact that it's caught on TV just makes the situation even more humiliating,"

"...Listen," Bruce said, taking his arm away from my shoulders and looking at me. "I know that, even though you've been exposed to a life of glamour, money, and publicity for almost a year now, it can get pretty tough at times. Especially for someone your age,"

"What should I do?"

"I think you should forget about tonight. Let me take care of the media, and when you go back to school on Monday, I promise you, everything will be better,"

"...OK,"

I settled back against the headboard of my bed, close to my godfather. Though he did make me feel a little better, it still didn't wash away my fear of going back to school on Monday where I was sure that what happened at the park that night would still be fresh on everyone's mind. But I tried not to think about it, and focused on another topic.

"So," I started, my voice a little lighter now. "How was the dinner date with the prima ballerina?"

"It was good," Bruce replied, nodding a little

"How's Rachel and Harvey Dent?"

That made Bruce snap a look at me in a bit of surprise. I tried to keep my growing smile under control.

"Did Alfred tell you?" he asked, suspicious.

"Nope," I answered with a quick shake of the head. "I talked with Rachel last week. She was telling me about Dent and how he was having trouble getting a reservation at The Ocelot for the past few weeks,"

I folded my arms, staring at my godfather with a grin on my lips.

"Tell me again," I pretended like I had forgotten. "How many weeks is it now that you've owned that restaurant?"

Bruce smiled, shaking his head.

"OK, OK," he smiled a little, chuckling in his throat. "You caught me,"

"...So," I asked curiously. "...How'd it go?"

"We actually had dinner together,"

"That must've been nice,"

"...Actually, it was a little awkward,"

At that moment, I realized that Dent might have said something that made Bruce a little uncomfortable. I wanted to know what. However, I decided not to ask. Both of us had very long nights. After a minute of silence, Bruce finally looked at me and gave me a smile.

"Come on," he said, getting off my bed. "It's past midnight. I think we should turn in,"

I would've protested, wanting to stay up and talk with Bruce some more, but a yawn gave me away. So, I tiredly admitted defeat, and crawled under the covers as my godfather turned off the lamp on my bedside table. As I shut my eyes, letting sleep come and slowly claim me, Bruce pulled the covers up to my neck, and gave me a light kiss on the forehead, sweeping the hair away from my face.

"Good night Bruce," I said sleepily.

"Sleep well, Sarah Chante," Bruce replied softly.

...Sleep well, Sarah Chante?...

I've heard that before. Somewhere in my dreams.

But before I could figure it out, I was already fast asleep.

* * *

_**(A/N: Yea! A quarter past three in the morning and this chapter is done! Review please! Oh! And if you go to my profile, you will find a link to a trailer I made to "The Dark Knight's Friend". Post your comments in the review please, and let me know what you think. Thank you all!)**_


	5. Gotham's White Knight

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

"I'm telling you, Sarah," Kayla said to me on the phone. "Tomorrow afternoon, Haley Kingston is going to be sorry she dumped chocolate pudding on you,"

After last night's chocolate pudding fiasco with Haley at the dance, it was clear that Kayla had begun plotting against our groups arch-enemy the moment the first sweet drop of rich chocolate hit the top of my head. Knowing her, she stayed up all night thinking of ways to get back at Haley. She probably even kept my poor friend Ally awake all night too so that they could bounce ideas off of each other.

But Kayla telling me what she planned to do over the phone right now was not a good time.

Around noon the next day, Rachel and I were sitting in a nice restaurant at a table with a nice white tablecloth, lovely dinner plates with shiny silverware, goblets of ice cold water with wedges of lemon floating inside, and a bread basket set in the middle. We had just sat down when Kayla called me on my cell-phone.

Sighing to myself in a bit of frustration, and rolling my eyes a little, I rested an elbow on the table, placed my forehead in the palm of my hand, and shook my head a little.

"Kayla," I started in a tired and skeptical tone. "Do you remember the last time you pulled a prank on Haley?" My voice then turned a little aggravated. "_We_. _Got_. _In_. _**Trouble**_?"

"Only me,"

I sighed again. Kayla could be pretty tough to deal with when it came to situations like these.

"Don't do anything, Kayla," I warned. "I'm not saving your neck again,"

"Oh," Kayla groaned. "Come. _**On**_!"

At this point in our conversation, that fact that Kayla was grounded from using her cell phone just two days earlier came to be part of my knowledge once more.

Thank you Nathan.

"Mom!" I heard Nathan in the background. "Kayla's on the phone again!"

"Gotta go!"

Quickly in a flash, Kayla had hung up on me in a haste to not get caught by her little cousin. I smirked a little and turned to face Rachel, who had been patiently listening to our conversation and waiting for it to end.

"Everything OK?" Rachel asked me with a small smile.

"Yeah," I answered, smiling as I put my cell phone away. "It's just--my friends. Every time something happens to any one of us, Kayla tries to pull a prank as payback,"

"Sounds like a handful," she laughed a little.

"She's still a good friend,"

Rachel laughed a bit once again, with that motherly smile she always gave me. I liked it when we spent time with each other. Whenever she wasn't busy with trials in court,--or whenever she didn't have a date with Harvey Dent--, she would always find time for me. It was never during a time when it was inconvenient. To me, a day with Rachel was never inconvenient, and I always had time to spend the day with her. Whatever else I was doing at the time, I would just leave alone until mine and Rachel's little "Girls Day Out" together was over.

"...Are you all right, Sarah?" Rachel asked me, suddenly concerned.

I looked at Rachel, and found one of the most profound looks of concern that I would sometimes see on her face. I knew what she was talking about, but it wasn't something I wanted to discuss...

Stupid Haley Kingston and her stupid TV show...

"Yeah," I finally answered, pretending to be suspicious. "Why?"

"No reason...You know, your mother was a bad liar too..."

Great. Even Rachel didn't want to leave the subject alone. Sometimes, she could be as bad as Bruce, but I never admitted it to her. I leaned back in my seat and sighed, defeated a little.

"All right" I gave in. "What do you know?"

"Well," Rachel started. "I know about the chocolate pudding and I was a little concerned. Anything I can do?"

"No," I replied. "Not really. Bruce kind of already took care of the media this morning..."

I sighed again, my eyes glaring at the tablecloth as if Haley Kingston's face was etched onto it.

"Too bad he can't take care of the gossip that's sure to be at school tomorrow..."

There was a bit of silence at the table before Rachel spoke again, changing to subject to a more lighter tone.

"How is school, anyway?" Rachel asked.

"It's good," I said. "There's this talent show coming up in a few weeks and try-outs are tomorrow,"

"Are you gonna go for it?"

I made a small face as I picked at bits of salad with my fork. Gotham City Private's talent shows were always made into some big thing, like they were supposed to be concerts for a popular rock star or something like that. No one denied that there were extremely talented students at our school. Last year, on a whim, I helped Ally out with a song that kind of brought the house down. This year, I didn't feel like a repeat of the episode, even though I kind of already had it at the dance last night with my friends...not to mention, there were other reasons too...

"No," I said before taking a bite.

Stealing a glance at Rachel, there was no denying the surprise on her face.

"Why not?" she sounded like it too.

I merely shrugged.

"I don't know," I picked at a bread stick. "I guess I'm not that talented,"

"Oh come on. Don't give me that. You're a very talented young woman. You're a good singer, writer, dancer, actress, you're a really good skater--"

"OK," I giggled a bit. "I get it..." Then my face sort of fell. "Maybe it's because Haley Kingston is sure to try out, get in, and win the grand prize by paying her way in,"

"What's the grand prize?"

To this, I smiled a little bit. The grand prize was supposed to be some sort of surprise. But from what I've heard, it's supposed to be something interesting.

"Well," I started. "They won't tell us what it is, but I've heard a few things,"

"Oh really?" Rachel smiled playfully. "Then what do you think the grand prize is?"

"OK," I scooted forward in my seat a bit, like what I was about to say was a secret. "Our school mascot's a black knight, right?"

"Right,"

"From what I've been hearing, the winner gets this sword of some sort. I don't know. It's kind of strange to be giving out something like that. And they say that not only does this sword represent the school, it--"

"--It represents honor, glory, and virtue to all of Gotham City," Rachel finished.

I stopped when she interrupted me and looked at her strangely. My eyes knitted together in confusion... I am pretty sure I haven't told her about the talent show and its strange award. When she saw how confused I was, Rachel only smiled at me.

"Your mother won that sword when she was in her senior year of high school," she explained to me.

"She did?" I asked, surprised a little.

"Yeah. Only back then, the sword just represented the school. Jennifer donated the sword to City Hall and gave honor, glory, virtue..."

Rachel then gently took my hand, and held it as she looked me in the eye...She held it the same way my own mother held it when she was alive...

"...and hope for a rotting city that she loved very much," she said in a gentle voice. "Ever since then, the sword had always been a symbol to those who fight for Gotham, like your mother and father did,"

"Like you," I said softly. "And Bruce,"

A smile forming on her lips, Rachel nodded, and released the loving hold she had in my hand and leaned back in her seat.

"So," Rachel folded her arms and looked at me straight in the eye. "Let me see if I have this right: You won't try out for a talent show that is supposed to celebrate this city's rise in power over crime because you think the girl responsible for the chocolate pudding incident is a shoe-in because she can pay her way to the winner's circle?"

I took a small moment to think about how to answer Rachel. In truth, she was right about my true nature of not wanting to go out for the talent show. I mean, I wanted to, but I also didn't want to end up on another episode of _Gotham Gossip_.

Not again.

"I just don't want anymore drama in my life right now," I finally replied. "So I figured staying out of Haley's way would be the smart thing to do,"

After listening to my reason, Rachel looked like she thought it was a good reason considering the situation I was in. Unlike Bruce, she knew how damaging a girl's reputation can be, even for someone my age.

Famous or not, social standing in the Fancy World of Gotham was not an exception.

"I understand," she gave me a small, comforting smile.

Suddenly, Rachel sat up in her seat, a smile on her face.

"OK," she sounded a little bit excited. "New topic: Let's talk about your birthday, so--"

"Here we go," I mumbled under my breath before taking a sip of my water.

"I heard that," Rachel added a small wink in her semi-warning tone and continued. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"I honestly don't know," I gave her an answer similar to the one I gave Bruce.

There was a slight pause, until Rachel spoke again, a little teasing in her voice.

"Bruce was right," she stated with a smile. "You do get that look on your face when you really want something,"

"What look?" I protested while I chewed my food, trying not to laugh. "I don't have a look!"

"All right, all right," Rachel laughed a little, putting her hands in front of her to say she was dropping it. "You don't have to tell me. Um..." She thought about what she wanted to ask me next. "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Chocolate," I answered immediately.

"Are you going to have a party?"

If there had to be one word in the English language that haunted me and my lifestyle of living with the rich and the famous, it would be the word "party". Honestly, I don't like having parties that revolved around me. I like going to some, but the last party I had that sort of revolved around me, my little "coming-out" thing as the Princess of Gotham around Bruce's birthday party, turned into a complete disaster and much more. But I couldn't help but feel that I was going to have an extravagant party anyway.

"I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to throw this huge fancy birthday party and invite people I hardly know," I explained. "You know, to keep appearances, and all--"

"Sweetheart,"

Rachel interrupted me softly and leaned forward in her seat and looked at me to make sure I was looking back and listening.

"Do you really think your godfather would plan a party he knows you wouldn't want?" she asked me gently.

There was silence again as I pondered what Rachel asked me.

"...Probably not..." I finally answered.

"There you go," she confirmed.

Once again, a moment of silence took over our table as Rachel leaned back in her seat, a smile still on her lips. Funny. Sometimes, she would think that Bruce can be the most arrogant person on the planet. She never told me, but she's always kind of thought that way. But then there was that part of her that knew that he was kind and good and pleasant to be around. Whenever it came to raising me, Bruce and Rachel seemed to agree on a lot of things and understand each other better than on issues when it didn't concern me.

"Thanks Rachel," I said with a small smile.

"For what?" she had this puzzled look on her face.

I gave half a shrug.

"Well," I started. "For always being there when I need you and giving me a bunch of advice...Basically...I like that you're almost like a mother to me,"

I didn't know why I told her that then, but I'm glad I did when I got the chance and listened to my heart to tell her how much she meant to me. It was true. Rachel was very close to being a mother to me. I loved every moment we spent time together; I liked how she always seemed to make any awkward situation comfortable to live with. She was my best friend, besides Ally, Kayla, Nathan, Josh, and Celia.

She smiled at me, and put a hand on my arm, rubbing it lovingly.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she replied.

As I smiled back, I saw someone coming to our table out of the corner of my eye. Rachel turned to see who was on their way over to us, and stood up when she immediately recognized him.

"Harvey," she said, going over to meet him.

"Hi Rachel," Harvey Dent greeted Rachel with a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry I'm late,"

"It's fine," Rachel turned to me as I stood up in my seat. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet Harvey Dent. Harvey, this is Sarah Chante, Bruce's goddaughter,"

There he was. Harvey Dent--Gotham City's District Attorney. The White Knight, as everyone called him...He looked taller than he did on when he was on _Gotham Tonight_...

"So," Harvey shook my hand as he studied me, an interested smile curled at one end of his lips. "This is the Princess of Gotham. I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you,"

There was that irritating name again: The Princess of Gotham. A title I sometimes wished I never had, but must bear anyway. I tried not to let my expression of disgust for that nickname show so much. I didn't want to embarrass Rachel by giving off a bad impression to Harvey Dent.

"It's, um," I quietly said, breaking the handshake. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Dent,"

"Please. You can go ahead and call me Harvey,"

...He wanted me to call him by his first name...

I have one word for that: Awkward.

Totally awkward.

"Um," I thought out loud. "I don't think that would be appropriate,"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Harvey asked, a warm smile on his face. "After all, you are like a daughter to Rachel,"

I had a million reasons why it wouldn't be appropriate. First of all, it's already awkward enough that he was around. There was something about his confident smile he always had that made me a little suspicious about him. Secondly, I was taught by my parents that unless they were family I had to address someone properly by their last name. As far as I was concerned, calling him Mr. Dent was just fine by me.

Now I know what Bruce meant about the dinner date being awkward last night. With that smile still on his face, Dent put an arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her close to him. She was smiling too. All of a sudden, I could imagine what Bruce might have been feeling when he saw how much they were in love with each other.

But, before the silence would become too long, I gave in.

"I guess that would make sense," I finally agreed.

"Good," Harvey seemed happy that I seemed to accept his presence. "So, who's hungry? I'm buying,"

* * *

The next hour that took place after my first meeting with Harvey Dent, Gotham City's District Attorney, seemed to be one of the longest hours of my life.

I don't know whether I enjoyed or hated my time at the restaurant with Rachel and Dent. I sat right across the table from him, so it was kind of hard to look down at my plate and pretend I didn't notice him at all without him seeing. No matter how much I didn't want to, I took part in almost every conversation that was spoken at the table. I thought that after we had eaten our lunch, it would be over. But Dent insisted that we stay longer, and he ordered cups of coffee for him and Rachel, and a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top for me, even though I said he didn't have to.

"I'll be back," Rachel got up from her seat and away from the table.

I was dipping my straw in and out of my milkshake when Rachel took her leave, kind of bored out of my mind.

"OK," I said softly.

"All right," Harvey nodded.

As soon as Harvey Dent and I were alone at the table together, the awkward feeling I had in me before grew to the point where I felt a bit sick. There was nothing I wanted more in this world right now than to go home to the Penthouse and lie down in my bed. Maybe even have Alfred make me some hot chocolate and Bruce come into my room and talk to me like we do for almost every night before I would go to sleep. Alas, I was out of my comfort zone, and stuck with the District Attorney until Rachel returned from the bathroom.

"So, Sarah Chante," Harvey leaned forward in his seat, his arms resting on the table. "Did you know that I knew your father many years ago?"

I stopped playing with the straw in my milkshake and looked up at him, my eyebrows knitted together. Was it in interest or surprise? I don't know.

"You--" I stuttered, confused. "You did?"

"I did," he nodded once with a smile.

I was still confused.

"How--" I stuttered still. "How come I never met you?"

"Well," Harvey leaned back in his seat a little. "We both grew busy with work, and your father married your mother, had you..." He then shrugged. "I guess we just grew out of touch,"

All of a sudden, Harvey Dent's brown eyes were staring at me. His smile had faded away when he looked down for a bit before looking back up.

"I'm sorry about what happened to them," he said in a sympathetic voice.

Wow. That was the first time I had actually caught a glimpse that, behind that face that he seemed to put on for the press and the cameras and the campaign posters, he was actually a bit human. And yet, part of me thought that he didn't really mean it, even though there was that small part of him that said to me he did. Nevertheless, I didn't want to appear rude.

"Thank you," I smiled a little.

Dent smiled back at me as a way of saying "You're welcome". At first, I thought that that would be all he would say to me, but I was wrong.

"Um," he seemed uncomfortable about asking me this next question. "If you don't mind me asking, who did kill them?"

What kind of a question was that?! I mean, who just randomly asks a person how their loved ones were killed? That was private and personal business...But I couldn't help but answer.

"Um..." I thought about how I could answer. "...It was my mother's older brother: Edgar Mason. He, um, tried to kill me too, but then, um, Batman helped me get away,"

"So you've actually seen the Batman up close?"

I admit, at the small mention of the Winged Avenger, my lips twitched into a bit of a smile. A laugh escaped my lips even, just a little bit. The obvious answer: Yes. I have seen the Batman up close. More than up close. I've spoken with him; trusted him with my life; flew over the city with him at night. I wanted to say that he was my friend, but I can't. Even I have to lie about the friendship I once had with the Dark Knight to keep my godfather' secret safe.

"No," I shook my head. "Not really. Besides, I was kind of unconscious when he rescued me...Mr. Dent--"

"Harvey,"

Amazing how he still wants me to call him by his first name. I hardly know the guy!

"...Why are you asking me questions about the Batman?" I asked, suspicious.

"From what I hear from Rachel and your godfather," he explained. "Batman has some special place in your heart,"

That made me frozen in my seat, and I stared back at Harvey Dent as if he said that the world was coming to end very soon, or that I had been poisoned and that there was no antidote to cure me.

He was right though. Batman did have a special place in my heart. I daresay he always had the first moment I laid eyes on that dark figure at the docks a year ago. But what froze me even more was that Dent said that my godfather had said that Batman had that place in my heart.

"...Bruce said that?" I asked again, wondering if I heard right.

"Actually," Harvey cleared it up. "Rachel said something like it. Your godfather just agreed with her...So, what's the story behind that?"

The story behind my friendship with the Caped Crusader seemed like it would sound more like a fairy tale to people who didn't understand the secrets I've kept or who didn't know that I hung around this dark vigilante when he first appeared in Gotham for a short time.

I myself sometimes think it was all a dream, even after a year of knowing the truth.

Everything that happened when he first came seemed...unreal...

"Batman came around shortly after my parents died," I started my small story. "I was a bit rebellious back then; wanted to be left alone, so I snuck out at night a lot..."

For just a moment, I broke the gaze that I held with Harvey Dent and glanced out the window...I could almost see the sky darkening, the signal in the sky...I could even almost hear the fluttering of the long black cape that would rustle in the wind while it flew in the air.

"...And then I saw him,"

Memories of what I heard and saw at the docks a year ago flashed in my mind: Being caught in the trucks, handcuffed to a pipe, hearing the frightened screams of Falcone's men when they were attacked by Batman...Being frightened and yet safe at the same time when I gazed into those all too familiar light green eyes...

I turned back to Harvey Dent, trying not to stare out the window for too long. I didn't want him to think I was weird or anything...

Wait...since when did I care about what the District Attorney thought of me?...Oh, never mind. I continued telling the rest of the story.

"I asked for his help on finding out who killed my parents, and he did his best...And, uh--" I shrugged. "That's about it,"

"I see," Harvey nodded, comprehending what happened last year. "...Does Wayne know anything about this?"

"Yeah. He found out about me sneaking out, but when I told him the reason, he understood,"

Harvey Dent nodded again as he leaned back in his seat, and interested look in his brown eyes. For a while, we didn't speak another word to each other.

But then I saw something shiny and sliver wink at me as it was tossed into the air by the mere flick of Dent's thumb.

He had took a coin out of his pocket and started flipping it repeatedly. My eyes followed it for a while until I noticed something unusual about it

"That's a pretty interesting coin," I broke the small silence, trying to make more of our conversation. "It doesn't look like a quarter though,"

"Oh this?" Harvey Dent held it up for me to see.

I was right. It wasn't a quarter. The face of what looked like the Statue of Liberty appeared to me as I leaned closer while listening to Dent.

"This," he sounded a little proud. "Is my father's lucky coin,"

"What makes it so lucky?" I asked.

"Well," Harvey had the biggest smile on his face. "For example, this coin got me my first date with Rachel,"

"Sounds like you leave a lot of things up to chance," I commented, before taking another sip of my chocolate milkshake.

"I don't," Harvey replied, his smile still there. "I make my own luck,"

* * *

I will never forget what happened that night. Something about it was filled with an air of mystery, confusion, and a little bit of uncertainty.

I was sitting in my bed, under the covers reading one of my favorite books: "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. Rachel gave it to me as a gift last year after my drowning incident. She told me she read a little bit of it, and couldn't help but notice how Meggie and Mo, the daughter and father in the book, had a relationship that was similar to mine and Bruce's. When I was stuck in bed, injured and a little bit weak, Bruce would sit next to me, put an arm around my shoulders, let my head rest on his chest, and read aloud to me until I fell asleep, listening to his soft and deep voice speak the words of the book. I happened to start reading it again for the millionth time when this...mysterious event occurred.

(A/N: I don't own this passage from "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke)

_That night--when so much began and so many things changed forever--Meggie had one of her favorite books under her pillow, and since the rain wouldn't let her sleep she sat up, rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes, and took it out. Its pages rustled promisingly when she opened it. Meggie thought this first whisper sounded a little different from one book to another, depending on whether or not she knew the story it was going to tell her. But she needed light. She had a box of matches hidden in the drawer of her bedside table. Mo had forbidden her to light candles at night. He didn't like fire. "Fire devours books," he always said, but she was twelve years old, she surely could be trusted to keep an eye on a couple of candle flames. Meggie loved to read by candlelight. She had five candlesticks on the windowsill, and she was just holding the lighted match to one of the black wicks when she heard footsteps outside. She blew out her match in alarm -- oh, how well she remembered it, even many years later -- and knelt to look out of the window, which was wet with rain. Then she saw him._

_The rain cast a kind of pallor on the darkness, and the stranger was little more than a shadow. Only his face gleamed white as he looked up at Meggie. His hair clung to his wet forehead. The rain was falling on him, but he ignored it. He stood there motionless, arms crossed over his chest as if that might at least warm him a little. And he kept staring at the house._

Suddenly, when I involuntarily looked up from my book to gaze at the night-sky outside the window, I did a double-take.

I could've sworn there was someone out on the balcony, staring at me, but when I looked back up, it was gone.

"What the heck was that?" I asked myself, my voice barely a whisper as I climbed out of bed.

In a fast pace, I hurried toward my balcony, opening both of the glass doors and stepping out into the chilly night air.

...I swear, someone was standing on my balcony just moments ago...

After staring at nothing, finding nothing unusual, I had to laugh at myself and running away with my imagination.

That's it. No more of Alfred's hot chocolate for me before bed.

Folding my arms, partially to protect me from the cold wind, I turned back to go inside and go to sleep.

But then I took one step, and the tip of something sharp grazed the bottom of my bare foot.

"Ow!"

Instinctively, I held my foot and looked at the bottom of it to see if it was bleeding. Thankfully, it wasn't, so I looked to see what it was that I stepped on...

My eyes grew wide as I bent down to pick it up...

No...It couldn't be...

"Oh my gosh..."

It was one of the batarangs that Batman uses. Gently, as if it was a precious pearl found from the depths of the ocean, I held it in my hand and stared at it. How long had it been since I actually held one in my hands? A year, but it felt like an eternity to me. But I still remembered running the tip of my finger along the thin edges, careful not to cut myself, tracing the outline of the bat-shaped batarang until I had committed it to memory.

Wait a minute...If I found the batarang here on the balcony...then, that must mean...

"...He's been here,"

Batman had to have been here. He just had to be! That explains my weird dreams! They weren't dreams at all! They were real! I was just hardly awake to tell the difference. The cold wind blew again, and I back inside to the warmth of my room, locking both my balcony doors for the night. Still staring at the batarang in my hands, I climbed back into bed, forgetting about the book. The batarang alone told me stories that I knew too well. Within that flat piece of sculpted metal contained memories of my adventures with Batman.

I don't know how long I had quietly stared at the batarang, but I quickly hid it under my pillow as I heard footsteps come toward my room. Alfred never checked on me in the middle of the night, so that must leave out Bruce. It had to be Bruce. Who else would check on me at this late hour. I grabbed my book, and laid it across my chest, closing my eyes to make it look like I had fallen asleep just as the door slowly opened.

I tried to even my breathing to a slow and calm rhythm as I felt Bruce come quietly closer to my bed. Did he know I had the batarang under my pillow? I couldn't tell. Somehow, I immediately thought of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". Instead of the beating of a dead man's cut-out heart, I could almost hear the batarang whisper to its true owner: "She has it. She took it. Take back what's yours"...

But Bruce, gentle as ever, slowly took the book out of my hands, and I heard him set it aside on my bedside table before turning off the lamp. I felt him lean over me in the darkness, put his hands on my shoulders and pull me down so that my head was resting on the pillows. At this point, I decided to make it look like he woke me up, so I stirred a little.

"Bruce?" I asked in a tired voice.

"Shh," I heard his soft and deep voice in the darkness of my room, his hand stroking the hair on my head. "Go back to sleep,"

"I can't,"

"Why not?"

"I'm not feeling pretty good,"

That was a truth...sort of. I felt guilty about faking that I was asleep; that I was hiding the batarang from him...What almost made me even more sick was the thought of going back to school tomorrow.

My godfather's hand went from my hair to my forehead, feeling it for any traces of a fever. I stayed quiet until he was done.

"You're a bit warm," he said to me softly, taking his hand away from my forehead, stroking my head a bit more. "Let's see how you feel in the morning, all right?"

"OK," I nodded in agreement. "...Bruce?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you home early?"

When Bruce goes on his Batman missions at night, he usually comes home before the crack of dawn, and even then he's still working on a case. It was barely midnight when I glanced at the alarm clock on my bedside table.

"There was just a false alarm with the signal," I could sense the small, reassuring smile in his voice. "Nothing you need to worry about,"

"...What did Dent want?"

There was silence. I could feel the surprised look Bruce was giving me through the darkness. But something about my conversation about the Batman with Harvey Dent made me think that he had something to do with this.

"...How did you know?" he finally asked.

"He kept asking me questions about the Batman at lunch today," I explained softly. "I didn't say much. I didn't know why he was asking me those questions..."

I stopped when my godfather wasn't saying anything in response...That made me a little bit more suspicious.

"What's going on, Bruce?" I asked, a hint of curiosity in my voice.

Bruce didn't answer me right away as he stood up straight from leaning over me, and pulled the covers up to my neck more.

"I promise I'll tell you tomorrow morning," he said calmly. "But you should really get some sleep right now, all right?"

I nodded as I settled into the bed more, closing my eyes as Bruce gave me a kiss on the forehead, and swept the hair away from my face, like always.

"Sleep well, Sarah Chante," he said softly to me once more.

I remembered a few nights ago when I heard a raspy voice say the exact same thing to me when I was carried to bed...Batman had a raspy voice...Was Bruce watching over me as Batman at night?

I had to know. I sat up in my bed a little bit and caught Bruce before he went out the door.

"Bruce?" I said.

Bruce stopped and turned around to face me from the doorway. The light from the hallway outlined him to make him look like a dark figure to me...

"Were you outside my balcony a while ago?" I asked

"No," Bruce answered softly. "Why?"

He wasn't on my balcony?...Was it just my imagination?...Was my godfather lying?

"I thought I saw something and I heard a noise," I explained.

"It was probably the wind," Bruce answered once again, his hand on the doorknob. "I'll see you in the morning. Hope you feel better,"

And with that, Bruce closed my bedroom door. As soon as I was engulfed in the complete darkness, I reached underneath my pillow and pulled out the batarang. For the longest time, I stared at it, memories connected with the Batman coming back to me...

"It wasn't the wind..." I confirmed to myself. "I know it wasn't,"

* * *

(A/N: Geez, I finally get this chapter done! Oh my gosh, so much has happened in the past couple of months. My roommate got engaged, Christmas is coming, my birthday's next week, and a bunch of other stuff that a college freshman has to go through. That reminds me, I gotta pay rent today. Haha. OK, you guys know what to do. Review, and if you haven't checked out the trailer, go ahead to my profile page and watch it. Leave your comments in a review. Love you guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!)


	6. Something's Going To Happen, Bruce

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

"All right, everyone in the water! Let's go!"

As soon as Coach Williams gave us the order to get in the pool, Ally and Kayla cheered for joy and both did cannonballs (even though they were asked not to), splashing Haley Kingston in the process. Of course, she was furious, but nobody seemed to care. I don't see what the big deal was. She was going to be swimming anyway. As she went on a rampage on how wet she had gotten, I brushed past her towards Coach Williams to talk to him about my feelings about our Gym class unit.

"Coach Williams!" I was able to catch his attention. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

My Gym teacher turned around to face me, and noticed that I was still in my uniform instead of a swimming suit and head cap, like the rest of my classmates were. A surprised look appeared on his face while I looked calm.

"Miss Chante," he said sternly. "Why aren't you in a swimsuit?"

The only reply I gave was a piece of paper that I took out of the pocket of my school uniform's vest--a note that Bruce was able to write for me this morning.

I think while my Coach was reading the note, it's only fair to tell you what it says.

Basically, I was asking that I sit out of today's gym unit due to the fact that I couldn't swim very well thanks to a certain...incident that happened in the Gotham City River a year ago.

I mean, I used to be able to swim very well before then. And I thought that even though I almost drowned in the river last year, I would still be able to swim. Bruce and I didn't expect the accident to affect me psychologically.

When we made that discovery, it was during a cruise that Bruce took me on for spring break last year. He thought it would be fun for me to get out of the city and relax, especially when it was during a time when the crime rate in Gotham City was low. The cruise was fun, but in the middle of our vacation, I accidentally fell overboard and into the ocean. That's when I discovered I couldn't swim as well as I used to, and I kept getting flashbacks of the drowning incident. Luckily, I didn't stay in the water very long. I was quickly thrown a life preserver, and I held onto that until I was picked up by a lifeboat, managed by some of the crew. Bruce was with them too, and he never let me out of his sight for hours after that. He never even let me out of his arms. After I had gotten some rest and some food, I told Bruce how I felt when I was in the water: How scared I was, and how I couldn't swim like I could before the night I almost died from injuries and the drowning.

After what happened, Bruce was the one who came to the conclusion that I still had fears of swimming in deep water after the accident in the Gotham City River.

"I see..." Coach Williams finally spoke as he read the note. "All right, I understand your feelings about this. You may sit out,"

"Thanks Coach Williams," I gave a small smile of thanks as I walked away.

Haley, who had overheard me being excused from swimming, was obviously a "little" furious.

"Ugh!" she objected, stomping her foot like a toddler would. "That is so not fair!"

"I don't want to hear it, Miss Kingston," Coach Williams waved her off.

She kept her mouth shut, but Haley still casted a glare at me. I just shrugged, a bit of a smile creeping at the corner of my mouth as if to say "Sorry"...Even though I really wasn't.

While the rest of my class was swimming, I was sitting on the high dive, reading "Inkheart" again. I may have been afraid of swimming, but I wasn't exactly afraid of heights. The diving board was hardly wet. It didn't bother me. Besides, I was trying to get my mind off the mysterious event that occurred outside my balcony last night. The minute I found it lying on the ground, the batarang had never left my possession. In fact, it was in my backpack, locked safely away in my locker, even as we speak.

The batarang was proof enough that Bruce lied to me about being outside on my balcony, watching me as Batman. How well he lied to me, practically looking at me straight in the eye, trying to convince me that what he was saying was the truth! I couldn't believe it.

But I didn't want him to know that I knew. For now I'm keeping it to myself, including the batarang, until the time was right to confront him. I was going to give it back this morning, but I wouldn't know what to say. Until I do, it stays with me...

...The chapter I was reading was ironic to me. It seemed Meggie wanted to know what Mo was keeping from her too. At least she was brave enough to ask straight up.

In this chapter, Meggie was getting fed up with all the secrets Mo, her father and best friend, had been keeping from her. Mo had tried to change the subject, trying to get her to forget about the things he didn't want to tell her...

...But then, I guess, I have to understand. If Mo reminded me so much of Bruce, then maybe I should be reminded that the reason he keeps secrets are because he wants to protect me.

Still, I want to know whether it was actually him as Batman standing outside on my balcony looking at me through the window last night, or if it was just my head playing tricks with me.

"Miss Chante!"

I looked up from reading my book to find Coach Williams calling me from the other side of the swimming pool. He didn't look angry, but he didn't sound too pleased either.

"If you're not going to swim," he started. "Then you probably shouldn't be sitting on the high dive,"

He did have a point. I did know that I shouldn't have been on there in the first place from the beginning, but I was just strange like that. Not many people would just want to sit and read on the high dive diving board.

"Sorry Coach Williams!" I shouted back, scooting back carefully before I grasped the railing.

I stood up, with my book in my hand, ready to walk carefully to the ladder so I could climb down. However, I didn't expect to see Haley Kingston up there with me, standing in the way of my exit.

"Excuse me, Haley," I tried to step out of her way.

"Get out of my way, Princess!" she snapped at me.

"Hey!"

All I asked was to politely get out of the way so I could get down. I never expected Haley to push me. Who knew she would react physically? The force of the push sent me falling backwards, my foot slipping on the slightly wet diving board, my book flying out of my hands...

...And me falling into the deep end of Gotham City Privates swimming pool.

In an instant, all my fears and the memories of the drowning accident last year flooded my mind, making me vulnerable. I kicked my legs furiously to get up to the surface, taking huge gasps of air as much as I could, before I would descend into the water again. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't gain control over my body as I flailed about, splashing water everywhere.

"Oh my gosh," I heard Ally. "Sarah's in there!"

"What?!" Kayla exclaimed next. "I thought she couldn't swim!"

"Coach Williams!"

I was scared. Not just because I was in the water and couldn't swim, but also because Bruce wasn't here to help me. He was the only person I trusted to get me out of something like this.

For a moment, I thought he was with me when an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me up to the surface once and for all. But the arm was much smaller than Bruce's muscular ones. It couldn't have been him. Once I was pulled to the surface, I took a huge breath of air, and hung onto my mysterious rescuer as they swam with me in their arms to the edge of the swimming pool. As soon as we got there, Ally and Kayla immediately pulled me out of the water. It seemed that the moment I was put on safe ground, all the horrible memories of that one night were gone instantly.

All my classmates made a circle around where I sat, with Ally and Kayla right next to me, checking to see if I was all right. Coach Williams pushed past the crowd of students to get to me.

"Miss Chante," Coach Williams bent down next to me. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I insisted.

It was true. I was fine...As long as I didn't have to go back into that stupid swimming pool anytime soon...

The sound of someone climbing out of the pool caught my attention, and I looked up. The circle of students made room for the boy who had rescued me. I had never seen him around school, so he must have been new around here. He had dark hair that looked like it would be in that messy style if it was dry. He didn't have a hair cap on like the rest of my classmates, and he looked like he was one of the 8th grade students, a year older than me. For someone his age, he looked like he had some strong muscles...

...And, if I may say so, had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They were a mixture of green and blue, it was hard to tell what his true eye color was...

But I didn't let that get in the way of expressing my gratitude.

"Thank you," I said softly as Ally draped a towel over my shoulders.

"No problem," the boy said, giving me a small smile.

Then, he handed me my book.

"I caught this before it could get into the pool," he explained.

"Thanks," my smile grew.

His smile grew as well.

"You're welcome," he said. "It's a good book anyway,"

...He read "Inkheart"? Wow, that was impressive. Most guys my age didn't like to read.

I never got his name. As he walked away from the group to head for the locker rooms, Kayla started accusing Haley right away. Figures she'd be the first one to tell on her. Always count on Kayla to attempt to get Haley Kingston busted.

"I saw Haley Kingston push her off, Coach Williams!" she pointed an accusing finger at Haley.

"Miss March," Coach Williams calmly said. "I didn't see anything. Unless Miss Chante did..."

Coach Williams looked at me for an answer. My mouth opened to say that it was indeed Haley that pushed me off of the high dive, but I stopped when I caught her eye. Again, she was glaring at me, but behind that glare I knew that if I told on her as well, she would do something to me even more humiliating to me than the chocolate pudding prank she pulled at the dance over the weekend and put it on _Gotham Gossip_. I swore to myself I would stay out of her way, and that's what I was going to do.

"...No," I finally answered, looking at the Coach. "...I think I just slipped and fell,"

I could feel Ally and Kayla snap a loot at me. Kayla's eyes were probably popping out of her head, along with her jaw dropping in surprise like one of those cartoons you see on TV.

"All right then," Coach Williams turned to the rest of the class. "Everyone else--Back in the pool. Miss Farris, Miss March, keep an eye on your friend here,"

"Yes sir," Ally and Kayla said in unison.

My friends helped me to my feet and led me to one of the bleachers as the rest of the class went back to their swimming unit. As soon as we sat down, Kayla started speaking to me like a parent would to their child if they did something stupid for the millionth time.

"OK," she started. "Did you hit your head when you fell? 'Cause I think you just totally lost it! Why didn't you tell him Haley pushed you off the high dive? I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Yeah, I did too," Ally agreed with her cousin. "Why didn't you tell him, Sarah?"

They were seriously asking that question, right? After everything that happened with us and Haley in the past few days alone?

"You two seem to have forgotten the last time we squealed on her..." I replied, pulling the towel over my shoulders more.

As I said that, Haley walked over to where my friends and I were sitting. She looked like whatever situation we were in, including Ally and Kayla, meant war. But I didn't want to argue with her, even though I sighed in a bit of frustration.

"What do you want now, Haley?" I asked, sounding like I had asked that question many times before.

Haley merely smiled, both in triumph and evil.

"See what happens when you get your fairy godfather to mess with my show?" she taunted.

...So this was all because of my godfather telling her stupid gossip/reality television show to get off of my back? How immature can this girl get?

Even though she wasn't angry as I felt at the moment, Kayla felt obligated to try and beat Haley senseless.

"Oh, why I oughta--" she started to threaten through her teeth as her hand balled up into a fist.

"Kayla!"Ally and I stopped her.

"...Fine," she said as Haley walked away. "But one of these days..."

* * *

After school let out, I walked out front to find my godfather's Lamborghini Murcielago waiting for me. He told me that morning during breakfast that he was going to pick me from school, since he did it so rarely. He even told me why he came home from patrol so early last night. Apparently, Harvey Dent had used the signal so he could talk to Batman, and asked him to get Lau back from China. It hardly surprised me to hear that Mr. Lau was working with the Mob, like the Falcone Crime Family, and handling their dirty money.

I nervously walked to the expensive steel-grey car. My hair was still wet from the swimming pool, and my uniform was damp and sticking to my skin, making me feel a little chilly. I really didn't want to talk to Bruce about what happened in Gym class (Again!), but I knew I would have to explain one way or another. When I opened the door to the passenger front seat, the infamous amused Bruce Wayne smile my godfather had on for me slowly faded to a bit of a worried frown.

"All right," he started as I got in the car, closing the door. "Tell me what's wrong,"

"What do you mean?" I asked as if I didn't know what he was talking about.

A bit of the smile he had on before made an appearance on the billionaire's lips again.

"You have that look on your face," Bruce answered, still looking at me.

"...Just don't ask me why I'm all wet," I mumbled, staring straight ahead, slumping in my seat with folded arms.

He didn't have to ask. Bruce could read me like a book. Of course he knew what happened: Whether he was told, or whether my attitude and the way I looked gave it away.

"Fair enough," he said, starting to drive the car. "How about this? What made Haley mad this time?"

"You," I immediately said, my tone saying I was ticked off about what happened.

"...I see..."

For a while, Bruce and I didn't say anything to each other at all. It seemed that it both crossed our minds that words of comfort couldn't help me this time. My anger and stubbornness wouldn't accept it for now. I couldn't believe how immature that Haley Kingston could be! And if her pushing me into the pool didn't say it, then that stupid television show of hers should!

...But I really didn't want to face her again tomorrow...

Bruce had to say yes to my question. He just had to! Surely, he could understand what I'm going through.

"Can I stay home from school tomorrow?" I asked.

"No," he immediately answered.

...What did he just say?...Did he just say "No"?

"Please?" I tried again.

"No," Bruce gave the same reply, more stern this time.

I groaned a little bit, sinking into my seat more, looking out my window with stubborn eyes. Great. I should have known Bruce would say no to my asking if I could have at least one day away from school. Come on, it's not like I'm asking him to let me pretend to be sick for a while. He should have thought of it as giving me a sort of mental-health day off from school, if you could call it that.

But I knew Bruce and his personality and, some of the time, his way of thinking.

If there was a problem, Batman never ran away from it. He confronted it, and fought it until the problem was solved and taken care of.

"Do you want me to do something about it?" he asked me.

Bruce didn't want me to run away from my problems, not even from the ones I couldn't handle alone. He always told me he'd be there to help me, but with each day that I got older, I felt like I'd feel more vulnerable; I'd feel like I couldn't fight my own battles even more.

He once told me that asking for help was actually a sign of strength...But I don't know how to explain in words how much I don't like getting people involved in my problems, no matter how small or how huge they may be.

"No," I finally answered.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yeah, I'm sure" I sounded a little irritated this time.

From the corner of his mouth, I could sense a small smirk Bruce was resisting to show. Sometimes, he thought it was funny to see me a little irritated. Most of the time with him, it was laughter and fun with him, but whenever I rebelled against him, like a normal teenager would to their parent, I would unintentionally remind him of this:

He was my godfather, a parent obligated to take care of me and raise me as best as he could in my dear late mother and father's stead.

And I, his goddaughter, a child he loved as much as my mother and father did, was growing up.

"Do you want to come to the office with me?" he asked as we turned a corner on the road. "I have to pick up the new suit and take care of some other things,"

Normally, I loved going to Wayne Enterprises with Bruce. One of the things that would always put a smile on my face was hearing Fox introduce my godfather and I to a few of the new gadgets that Bruce would use on his Batman patrols. It was as close to Batman as I'll ever get to at this point in my life. However, l was in a rotten mood to do anything fun. I said nothing to respond, but Bruce knew me too well. He always knew how to persuade me to do something...except for trying to get me to tell him what I want for my birthday, of course.

"Come on," his tone said he was trying to cheer me up. "Fox says he has an early birthday present for you."

...I suppose I could come along. But there was something we had to do real quick.

"Can we stop by the penthouse first?" I asked.

* * *

After I had changed at the Penthouse into some blue jeans, my favorite air-walks (black and white tennis shoes), a green short sleeved shirt with a black plaid scarf, Bruce and I headed towards Wayne Enterprises to meet with Lucius Fox. The first thing that my godfather asked Fox is if he told Lau Security Investment Holdings, the company that Mr. Lau was CEO over, that the business deal between the two companies was off. Unfortunately, Fox had been too late.

"Our Chinese friends left town before I could tell them the deal was off," he explained as he got up from his seat.

Bruce didn't seem surprised. In fact, I could see a hint of a smile beginning to grow. It was totally obvious that he was up to something. You could see in his eyes that a plan was slowly being formed in his head.

"Well," Bruce stated as we walked toward the bookcase. "I'm sure that you've always wanted to go to Hong Kong."

Fox looked at Bruce, confused a bit as he pushed a hidden button beneath a book-shelf, activating part of the book case to open and reveal an elevator that would take us to the basement of Wayne Enterprises. No one could deny Lucius Fox's fascination with China itself. His whole entire office had terra cottas on his desk and shelves, and with paintings of Chinese symbols hanging on the walls by a strand of silky yarn. But I could tell that he thought that the idea of going all the way to Hong Kong to cancel a business deal was strange.

"What's wrong with a phone call?" he asked.

"I think Mr. Lau deserves a more personal touch," my godfather explained as we stepped inside the hidden elevator.

By "personal touch", my godfather clearly meant beating the crap out of Lau for secretly working with the Mob.

But I couldn't help but be confused too. If Lau committed a crime, why couldn't we just call the police in China and have him arrested there?

"How come the police can't arrest Lau there in China and save you the pressure?" I asked.

"Because, Sarah," Bruce answered. "The Chinese won't extradite a national under any circumstances. Even if he committed a crime here in the United States,"

"Oh,"

I nodded in understanding as the elevator door opened. Fox, Bruce, and I walked out and into the huge basement where most of Fox's projects and gadgets were kept.

"Now," Fox said as he led us through the hidden Applied Sciences Department. "For high-altitude jumps, you're going to need oxygen and stabilizers. Well, I must say, compared to your usual requests, jumping out of an airplane is pretty straightforward,"

As soon as he finished explaining what Bruce needed for this particular Batman mission, Fox stopped by a huge case and opened it. Inside was a mask and two oxygen tanks ready for my godfather to use.

"And what about getting back into the plane?" Bruce asked.

"I'd recommend a good travel agent," Fox answered.

After Fox answered, there was something else that Bruce forgot to mention when he asked about how to get back into the plane.

"Without it landing," he added.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head, smiling a little. Let me tell you, I will never understand how complicated Bruce's adventures have to be. Fox smiled too as Bruce chuckled a bit, nodding in amusement at both mine and Fox's expressions.

"Now that's more like it, Mr. Wayne," Fox smiled.

Bruce smiled back a bit, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"The CIA," Fox started again. "Had a program back in the '60s for getting their people out of hot spots called Sky Hook. We could look into that,"

"Yeah," Bruce agreed.

"Okay. Now--"

With two fingers, Fox beckoned us to go over to a cabinet with him. When he opened the metal drawer, we were revealed the new and improved Batman suit.

"Hardened Kevlar plates over titanium-dipped tri-weave fibers," he presented the new armor. "--for flexibility."

As Fox explained the details of the new suit, Bruce picked up one of the gauntlets that would go on his arm. I moved closer by his side to get a better look.

"You'll be lighter, faster--"

There was a click as Bruce's fingers pressed a hidden button. Instantly, six blades, three on each side of the gauntlet, sprung up, their tips standing high in the air like men in the military would when standing at attention when commanded to. The sudden feature made me jump a little bit, but not too much for Fox and Bruce to notice. Besides, I was already amazed at the equipment.

"--more agile,"

Once the words had finished passing through Fox's lips, Bruce pressed another hidden button, and the blades went flying out.

"Whoa!" I jumped.

With lightning reflexes, Bruce held an arm in front of me, his hand gripping my arm, ready to push me away if the blades went straight for me. Fortunetly, they didn't. Instead, they flew past us and embedded themselves in a file cabinet that was on the other side of where we stood. After a small moment of standing still, Bruce and I looked at each other, before looking at the now blade-less gauntlet. Fox gave a wary eye to my godfather.

"Perhaps you should read the instructions first," he advised.

"Yeah," there was a hint of an embarrassed laugh in Bruce's voice.

As Bruce put the gauntlet back with the rest of the un-assembled suit, I left his side for a moment and went over to the file cabinet where the blades stuck to. Fox kept on talking as I inspected the damage. I was amazed at the strength and speed of these blades.

"Now there is a trade-off," Fox explained. "Separation of the plates makes you more vulnerable to knives and gunfire,"

"Ah, we wouldn't want to make things too easy, now, would we?" Bruce asked in a joking way.

Though it looked like I wasn't listening and stuck in my own little world, I had heard what Fox said about Bruce being more vulnerable in the new suit. I almost turned around to explain my worry, but I decided to explain it to Bruce alone, instead. Putting the concern at the back of my mind for a moment, I turned by attention back to the blades stuck in the file cabinet.

"How will it hold up against dogs?" he wondered.

"We talking rottweilers or Chihuahuas?" Fox asked as he shut the drawer.

I grinned to myself a little.

OK, I just had to comment on that question. I hardly ever get a chance to tease my godfather.

"Chihuahuas," I answered, still grinning to myself. "Definitely Chihuahuas."

Fox started to chuckle at my little joke. Bruce said nothing, but a smile was enough to tell me that I didn't embarrass him that much, even though there was a shade of pink growing on his face. He shook his head, still smiling at me.

"Just like your mother," he sighed. "Always poking fun at me,"

Fox chuckled a little bit more.

"Should do fine against cats," he said.

I laughed a little, turning back to the blades in the file cabinet. But before I could even touch them with the tip of my finger, I was caught.

"Sarah."

Turning around to face my godfather as he walked toward me, a stern look with a hint of worry on his face, I clasped my hands behind my back. It was almost as if I was going to say I wasn't doing anything. But, apparently, wanting to mess with sharp objects was something I should know better than to do.

"I don't think you should try to pull the gauntlets out," Bruce warned, pulling me away from the file cabinets back to where Fox was. "I don't want you to cut yourself,"

"He's right, Miss Chante," Fox agreed with my godfather. "Those are very sharp blades,"

"Okay," I nodded. "...Um, Mr. Fox?"

"Yes?"

"Not to sound impatient or anything, but...um--"

Bruce chuckled a bit, placing his hands on my shoulders as he stood behind me. He knew what I was trying to ask.

"Sarah would like to see what you've built for her birthday," he finished for me.

Fox smiled at me.

"I thought she might," he remarked. "It's right this way,"

While Fox led us down the hallway to where my birthday present was, my concern about the new suit's vulnerability grew to the point where I just had to talk to Bruce about it before anything else got in the way.

"Bruce," I stopped my godfather.

The moment Bruce looked at me, he saw the concern and the bit of fear in my eyes. That made him look worried. I took a quiet, but deep, breath before I continued.

"...Do you really think it's a good idea that the new suit doesn't protect you as much as the old one did? I mean..."

My voice trailed off into silence, finding that I couldn't bring myself to finish. Bruce just gave me a comforting smile, and a reassuring arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him as he realized my silent fears.

"Don't worry, Sarah," he reassured me. "I think it'll be just fine,"

A corner of my mouth tried to smirk in order to show my godfather that I was feeling a little bit better, but I couldn't. There's no way I could force myself to smile if I wasn't feeling what I should be feeling. We caught up with Fox, who stood right by a huge cloth covered object.

"Here it is," he presented my early-birthday present.

Fox took the cloth off and revealed what looked like a black go-kart, but I could tell there were a few modifications to it. However, so far I liked it. A smile slowly spreads on my face as I moved toward it.

"You built me a go-kart?" I asked, walking around it, looking at it.

The only reply I got from Fox was a little smile before he replied:

"I suppose you can call it that..."

"How fast can it go?" I asked.

Fox's smile just grew a little more as he reached for something off a nearby counter.

"How about you take it for a test drive and find out?" he suggested, tossing me a helmet.

* * *

Bruce couldn't believe it.

In the very same room where he test-drove the Tumbler, his goddaughter was test-driving her birthday present: A go-kart.

A _very_ _**fast**_ go-kart.

He and Fox stood on the sidelines, watching Sarah drive the contraption in circles in the big cemented room. Every now and then, she would speed up the go-kart, testing it's full potential on how fast it would go. Bruce kept watching, a part of him anxiously waiting for the moment where the go-kart would slow down. That moment never seemed to come. Nevertheless, he kept quiet and kept watch.

"It was a project I was working on for the army five years ago to go along with the Tumbler," Fox explained the go-kart's history. "But it was never put into production,"

"Why?" Bruce asked.

Fox gave him a look that said: "You should know why"...

"Earle said he couldn't exactly see soldiers going around in something as small as this," he answered. "Crossing enemy lines, keeping track of the Tumbler and other vehicles in the area at a low profile, going through small spaces, and planting mines. He wanted the project terminated, but I've kept this one hidden in the basement for a long time,"

Bruce sucked in a quiet breath and straightened his posture a bit. Just knowing his goddaughter was driving something similar to that of the Tumbler made his stomach turn with a dark uncertainty about what Sarah wanted to do with her life...

Heaven forbid...No...She couldn't want to become--

Bruce's thoughts were interrupted when Fox put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a smile.

"Not to worry, Mr. Wayne," he reassured his employer's unspoken fears. "I plan to un-install the military technology before the month is up. Until then, it stays here,"

"...Good," Bruce nodded softly.

* * *

If it weren't for the helmet on my head, I would be feeling the wind on my face right now.

This thing was absolutely amazing!

Bruce and Mr. Fox stood on the sidelines watching me drive the go-kart. Before I started, Fox warned me not to touch any of the other buttons that were beside the steering wheel, but my mind was focused on the excitement and thrill that I was experiencing right now.

It was the closest thing to flying that I'll ever get.

After a while of driving in circles in the empty area, I caught Bruce waving a hand over to where he and Fox were, signaling for me to stop the go-kart and that it was time to go. Obeying, even though I was a bit disappointed, I slowly pulled the go-kart to a stop and turned it off in front of my godfather and Mr. Fox.

"So what do you think?" asked Fox with a beaming smile.

"...Wow. Fox--I'm not kidding," I rushed over to them, taking off my helmet. "This has to be one of the coolest things you have ever built!"

I threw my arms around Fox, hugging him.

"I love it!" I smiled as wide as I could. "Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome," Fox chuckled, returning the hug. "I'm glad you like it,"

* * *

The day moved on and as darkness began to fall on the city once more, Bruce's pondering about Sarah and the visit to Wayne Enterprises plagued his mind slowly by the hour. In his room, he stood standing by his window, arms folded, looking to see if Gordon would put up the signal that night. So far, there had been no sight of it. A part of him had been wishing that it would so he could keep his mind off his troubles and concerns of his goddaughter. But it looked like it wasn't going to show up in the sky that night.

Even though nighttime came again, around the time that Sarah should've been asleep in her bed, Bruce was still standing at his window looking out at the city...Still thinking...

"Master Wayne?"

It was Alfred's concerned voice that pulled Bruce out of his trance. But he didn't turn around and face his butler, acknowledging that he heard him. Instead, he spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm worried, Alfred," Bruce confessed what was on his mind.

"About Miss Sarah?" Alfred wondered.

Bruce was silent for a while before he spoke again.

"Yes," he answered softly.

"Is everything all right with her?"

...Was everything really all right wih Sarah Chante?...Bruce had to think about that for a moment.

"Yes," he answered once more.

"Then what are you worried about, sir?"

At that sort of question, there seemed to be a darkness that shrouded over Bruce's worried face from the moonlight in the sky that shone through the window he stood at before he replied:

"What she might become..."

* * *

I couldn't fall asleep that night for some reason.

Usually, getting to sleep was an easy task for me. But for the past few nights, the task itself seemed to become harder and harder to do. I could never explain it, but there was always this pit in my stomach that kept me from sleeping. Sometimes it was dull; and sometimes it was very painful to the point where I felt sick.

After tossing and turning for the past few hours, I decided to go out on the balcony for some fresh air and took a blanket to wrap around my shoulders and a notebook to write down my thoughts in. I had been writing in it a lot lately; there seemed to be a lot on my mind. I sat myself on the lounge chair outside and made myself comfortable.

While I was flipping through the pages for a blank page, I came across a poem I wrote almost a year ago. Stopping for a moment, I took the time to read what I had written. I remember when I wrote it how much I missed the company of a certain dark guardian angel...

_**Dark guardian angel, you're an interesting idol.  
You have the stature and build of a full-grown man.  
Your voice is as dark as the armor you wear.  
You move with the shadows, invisible to all--  
Yet you show yourself to me when I need you most.**_

_**Dark guardian angel, you are a fighter.  
You protect me from those who would hurt me,  
Shield me in the night, keeping me out of the fight.  
You are a fearsome soul, like everyone else says,  
But a valiant knight that keeps an eye on me.**_

_**Dark guardian angel, can I tell you a secret?  
It's precious to me; don't tell my enemies.  
I trust you so much, please keep my secret safe.  
You are my one and only friend;  
The first friend I've had in ages.**_

_**Dark guardian angel, life was depressing before you.  
The past hurts me painfully, even now.  
Every day, I'm tormented by demons once disguised angels.  
Sinners pulling the facade of saints --Lies told as truths --  
The only comfort I get is at night, and I'm grateful for that.**_

_**Dark guardian angel, where are you now?  
I'm all alone with no one here by my side.  
A part of me is all right having no one there.  
You come and go as you please; that is your nature.  
But why, dark guardian angel, do I feel frightened?**_

_**Help me, dark guardian angel, my enemies are here.  
They have come to finish off what's left of my tormented heart.  
Their jeers and their lies have returned to haunt me.  
Did you abandon me, dark guardian angel?  
Please, oh please, I beg of you -- do not do so.**_

_**See the tears in my eyes, dark guardian angel.  
My spirit is dying -- they are winning the fight.  
My faith is fading as they keep on degrading.  
Get me out of here and take me away!  
I can't stand being hurt! For once, let me have peace!**_

_**Dark guardian angel, you've heard my pain.  
How relieving it is to be safe in your arms.  
Away we fly into the night far from the fight where we won't die.  
You tell me that you're here; I'm safe; you'll always be there.  
And always, dark guardian angel, will I trust you and believe you.**_

"Hey,"

I looked behind in my chair and saw Bruce coming out on the balcony. I closed my notebook, hiding the poem back in the worn out pages as he made his way over to where I sat.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked sternly. "It's almost eleven,"

"Couldn't sleep," I answered, looking back at the city before me. "So I came out here to think,"

Standing up, I walked over to the railing on my balcony and leaned against it, looking at the scenery as I draped the blanket over my shoulders more.

"Shouldn't you be suiting up?" I asked.

By the time I asked that, Bruce was by the railing next to me, smiling a little.

"Not tonight," he answered.

For a while, we were silent, but it was a nice kind of silence. We didn't have to say anything to each other. There were never any awkward silences between us.

"So," he started. "What is the Princess of Gotham thinking about?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious.

Bruce looked at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Sarah," he explained. "Every time there's something on your mind, you come out here. You said so yourself,"

I looked down a bit...There was something on my mind, actually...

"Did my mother ever get hunches?" I asked.

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't understand," he said.

"Did she ever feel and think that something would happen, and it did?" I asked again.

"Yes, she did. All the time...What are you trying to say?"

...What was I trying to say? How could I explain to my godfather what it was that I was feeling? For a while, I was at a loss of words, until Bruce spoke.

"Sarah?" he asked, wondering why I was taking a long time to answer.

"I don't know why," I started softly. "But...Ever since the day Gotham National Bank was robbed, I keep feeling like something terrible is going to happen..."

I was silent for a while once more...

"Sarah, listen to me," Bruce said.

Bruce placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me gently to face him. However, my eyes stared at the ground, with my arms folded and a pensive look on my face.

"Look at me,"

I did. When I looked up at Bruce, there was this expression on his face that I knew too well: It was the one he would get when he would always tried to reassure me that everything was under control.

"You know I would never let anyone or anything hurt you," he said.

"I know that," I told him that I understood. "And I keep telling myself that...But...I don't know what it is that's keeping me up at night,"

Something horrible was going to happen. That's what was keeping me up at night. I can feel it. I can feel it with each day as it passes, and with each night where my dreams would slowly start to become nightmares. I looked at Bruce, the fear in my eyes making itself known to him.

"Something's going to happen, Bruce," I said again, my voice cracking with worry.

Bruce just pulled me in his arms into a hug, shushing me as he comforted me.

"You've been under a lot of stress lately," he quietly said while he tried to calm me down. "And you haven't been getting enough sleep. Let yourself relax and everything will be fine. I promise you,"

After a while I nodded, looking up at him. Then Bruce tried to give me a comforting smile. I tried smiling back, but I guess I was too tired.

"Come on inside," he put an arm around my shoulders. "Before you catch a cold,"

My godfather led me back inside, and tucked me into bed, kissed me on the forehead and said "Sleep well, Sarah Chante", like he did almost every night. After he said that, and turned off my bedside lamp, I had to reassure myself of the unconfirmed fears I still had stirring inside me.

"Bruce?" I asked

"Yeah?" he answered me.

"Are you sure nothing bad is going to happen?"

All Bruce did was give me a smile.

"Absolutely," he whispered.

* * *

_**(A/N: I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Sorry I haven't been able to update in a while, but I've been having so much fun with my new roommates! They even like to call me "The Dark Knightess" for some reason. *wink, wink*.**_

_**Here's a question for you: If you were to cast an actress to play Sarah Chante, in teenage or adult years, who would you pick? Just curious to know, that's all. haha**_

_**If you would like to help me on a future chapter, please leave your ideas in a review, and I will reply back to you in a private message.**_

**_Also, how do you get your story out of a community? Apparently some not-so-nice person decided to make a community advertising "The worst of the worst batman/ dark knight" fanfictions on there, and put "Friend of the Knight" on there. Needless to say, I'm kind of ticked. If that story was bad, then how come that baby is still getting good reviews after finishing it a year ago? I worked hard on that story for 2 1/2 years. I actually did research on the movies and other stuff! And I hardly do that when I write my stories! Sure it was a little rough around the edges, I admit that, but I think I've matured in my writing, don't you think?_**

**_If you could help me out, that would be great._**

_**Sincerely, and with much gratitude and love,**_

_**HarrysMagicSpell.)**_


	7. Never Mad At You

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

The next day at school, I was sitting outside for lunch with my friends. It was just too nice a day to eat inside. The sun was shining just the right amount of light upon the city. Almost everyone of the seventh grade class at Gotham City Private was outside, enjoying the day. Ally, Kayla, and I sat on the front steps of the private school eating our lunches. The lunch Alfred packed for me was particularly good: Grilled chicken sandwich, a bag of those kettle cooked potato chips I loved so much, some celery sticks, and bottled water.

As I sat there enjoying my meal, I glanced over at Kayla, who I noticed was glaring at Haley Kingston, who was sitting all the way over on the other side of where we were. Kayla was biting her nails as she glared. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I chewed my sandwich and nudged Ally beside me before sending a glance over to her cousin. Ally saw what Kayla was doing and frowned.

"Stop that," she scolded softly.

For a moment, Kayla stopped her nail biting and glared at Ally a little.

"I can't help it," she said before starting again.

"Yes you can."

"You know I always bite my nails when I don't get back at someone as evil and nasty as-"

I interrupted Kayla by scowling under my breath, loud enough for both of them to hear.

"We get it," I said, a bit annoyed. "Haley's evil. There should be justice for all of the things she has done. But what you want to do to her isn't justice. It's wrong."

Kayla just looked at me with that glint in her eyes that always meant trouble.

"I prefer to think of it as giving her a taste of her own medicine," she explained, almost laughing a bit.

A scowl escaped my mouth again.

"I give up," I sighed, frustrated. "The only thing that can help her now is a certified therapist!"

"Hey!"

Obviously, Kayla had found my comment a little offending. But I just gave her a scowling look that said that I didn't care at the moment.

"Just stop biting," I practically ordered. "It's a bad habit anyway."

"Oh my gosh, look!" Ally suddenly said, excited as she grabbed my shoulder. "It's him!"

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Who?" I asked, wondering what the heck she was talking about.

"The guy who dove in to get you out of the pool yesterday," Ally explained. "He just moved here from New York City over the weekend."

I looked in the direction Ally was pointing at and sure enough, there was the guy from yesterday. He was over on the other side of the front of the school, talking with a few other guys in his 8th grade glass. I noticed some girls not too far away from us, including Haley Kingston, eyeing him, obviously finding him attractive. Sure, I admit the guy looks good, but I think the only thing that I found attractive were his eyes…The eyes alone were enough to make me swoon or blush a little, but I won't admit that to anyone. Not even to my friends.

"Who is that guy?" Kayla asked no one in particular, looking at the new student in a dreamy way.

"I don't know," Ally sighed deeply in a similar gaze to her cousin's. "But I think he is one of the hottest guys in the school. Sarah, you are one lucky girl."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"OK," I said slowly. "Define 'lucky'."

"You're the only one out of the three of us he's actually spoken to!" Ally exclaimed in a "duh" tone.

"Yeah," Kayla agreed. "And he's an 8th grader, so that gives you major points."

For a short while, I stared at my friends with silence between us as they waited for me to speak. Then, I took a deep breath, calmly set down the lunch I was eating, and exhaled when I turned to face them more.

"OK," I started. "So, let me get this straight-Your definition of me being lucky is being spoken to by a guy who's a year older than us."

"And hot!" Kayla added. "Don't forget he's hot!"

"You should definitely ask him out," Ally advised.

Ask him out? They were actually serious about this!

"Hmmm," I thought out loud in a sarcastic manner. "That's a good idea except we're too young to date, we don't even know each others names-Not to mention, Bruce will go nuts if I go on a date before I'm even thirteen!"

Ally and Kayla looked at me in a concerned way when I finished. It really wasn't like me to act the way I just did. To tell the truth, I was concerned myself. Before they could ask what was wrong with me, I blamed my short little outburst as a result for not getting enough sleep the night before. After Bruce had sent me to bed last night, assuring me that nothing horrible was going to happen, I discovered later that night that even though his words comforted me a little, they didn't put my mind at rest. In the end, I was able to get about three or four hours of sleep in before it was time to get up.

"What's your problem?" Kayla asked, an eyebrow raised. "You've been acting moody all day."

I looked apologetically to Ally and Kayla, hoping it would melt away the memory of the sarcastic behavior I displayed seconds before.

"I'm sorry, guys," I sighed. "I didn't get enough sleep last night. I've had a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" Ally curiously asked.

As soon as Ally had asked that question, something dark came over my mind-A shadow that made me feel uncomfortable and uncertain of what exactly did haunt me and steal away the comforting hours of sleep.

I don't know what it is that's bothering me and warning me that something terrible was going to happen soon...

But I do know that by the time I do find out what it is, it'll be too late to stop it.

"That's the thing," I finally answered in a low voice. "...I don't know."

* * *

After school that day, I was sitting on the front steps of Gotham City Private strapping on my roller blades and getting ready to go home. It was a relief to me that school finally came to an end. I had spent gym class, my last class of the day, far away from the pool and far away from Haley Kingston as much as possible where I would be safe and dry.

A part of me wanted to see the guy from yesterday again, but he wasn't there. Besides, even if I did want to see him again, he probably wouldn't recognize me…

Suddenly, a small noise from my cell-phone pulled me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out of my jacket pocket and looked at the text message Bruce had sent.

**_At bunker. Meet there._**

A small smile appeared on my face when I read the text message. I quickly replied saying that I was on my way and would be there in ten minutes. I tried not to show it to my godfather, but I loved it whenever I was able to go to the Bunker. It was the one place where I felt a bit closer to the Batman than I ever have the past year.

At the mere thought of the Caped Crusader, I was reminded of the batarang that was still hidden safely in my backpack. I still don't know how I'm going to ask Bruce how it got on the balcony outside my room. Confronting him about it seems easier to do in my head compared to reality.

When my roller-blades were finally on, and my helmet fastened on my head, I looked up. Ally, Kayla, and Nathan were by the curb talking while they were waiting for their driver to pick them up. I stood up, and started to roller-blade to them normally so I could say goodbye for the day.

"Sarah, watch out!" I heard Kayla shout.

I was able to heed Kayla's warning in time. Looking to my right, I saw a bunch of books being thrown in my way onto the concrete ground…courtesy of Haley Kingston, who had this look on her face like she was going to enjoy what would possibly happen if I ran into them.

"Whoa!" I tried to get out of the way.

I lost my balance on my roller-blades and wobbled uncontrollably, trying to stable myself so that no one could get hurt, including me.

Unfortunately, that plan didn't do so well.

"Hey!" I ran into somebody.

The next thing that happens…It's…It was just embarrassing, OK? Well, at least, I thought it was embarrassing for me. You might think it's not that big of a deal.

After I had gotten a sense of my surroundings, I noticed that I was lying on top of the guy who got me out of the pool yesterday.

That's right.

Of all the people I had to crash into, it just had to be the one whose eyes just made me feel like anything I would say would be stupid.

For a moment, we just stared at each other…Then I realized my mouth was hanging open like I was some sort of fish, and found my voice.

"Oh my gosh!" I started apologizing as best as I could. "I am very sorry! Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

I pushed myself off of him and onto the sidewalk beside him, waiting for him to answer and ignoring the snickers and giggles I would hear from Haley and her groupies. To my surprise, the new guy didn't seem ticked off that I just collided into him. He was actually laughing a bit too.

"Hey, it's OK. I'm fine," the new guy said, smiling a little. "Although I kind of can't say the same for your arm..."

I looked down on my right arm to see blood seeping through the arm of my uniform's white blouse. The deep scratch started to sting when I became aware of it, but I showed no sign of discomfort. He must'veaccidentally scratched it with his fingers when I bumped into him.

"Oh," I waved it off. "That's nothing."

To Bruce and Alfred, a mere scratch wasn't nothing.

I knew that as soon as I got home, Bruce would see that scratch and get all protective if I tell him what happened…

And Alfred won't be too happy either. Blood stains are hard to get out of clothing.

"Here," the new guy stood up, holding out his hand. "Let me help you up."

I took the boy's hand and he helped me up. I started to wobble a bit as I tried to find balance on my roller-blades, but then I was suddenly still. The boy had put a hand on my back to steady me until he was sure that gravity was agreeing with me and that I wouldn't fall again…

…Is it wrong to say that I didn't want that hand to move?

Oh my gosh, what is going on with me?

Before I could allow myself to blush, I decided to thank him again.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Anytime," he smiled back.

Dang! Why does that smile make me smile more? There was something about this guy that made me feel…light, I don't know what the word is. Happy, maybe? I just don't know…

OK, I just realized that a whole minute went by of me and this guy staring at each other for no apparent reason, so I decided to tell him who I was.

"I'm Sarah, by the way," I introduced myself, holding out my hand. "Sarah Chante."

"Tyler Jamestown," he introduced himself, putting his hand in mine. "I just moved here from New York City. They call you Princess, right?"

Wow, he had such soft hands…Wait, back up here. Did he just ask me if I was called "Princess"? Like some sort of nickname?

"No," I almost laughed. "Why would I be called that?"

"My friend, Haley," he explained. "She told me that was your nickname."

...OK.

Hold it right there! Stop the presses! Stop doing whatever the heck it is you're doing and make sure if I heard this right:

He just used the words "friend" and "Haley" in the same sentence. Was that even possible to do?

"You-" I said cautiously. "You're friends with Haley Kingston?"

"Yeah," he answered casually. "You know her?"

"Yeah I do...Actually, Princess isn't really my nickname. I prefer being called Sarah."

I kept pleading in my head that he would just call me "Sarah" and not end up being one of Haley's mindless robots that did everything she told them to do. Actually, he could even be allowed to call me whatever the heck he wanted as long as he didn't call me "Princess". Whatever name it was, I don't care, as long as I am not referred to as "Princess" for as long as I live!

"All right then," he smiled once more. "Sarah, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," I said back, uneasy this time."...Um...I should go."

Although it made me feel a little better that he went ahead and called me by my real name, the fact that he was friends with Haley Kingston made me queasy. Besides, how do I know this guy isn't part of the camera crew for _Gotham Gossip_ and doesn't have a camera hidden somewhere in his school uniform? I started to roller-blade away from him, but he continued talking.

"Do you want a ride to your place?" he offered.

The part of me that swooned at the sight of this guy wanted to shout "Yes! That would be great! I would love it if you gave me a ride home!"

Then the reasonable part of me, the part that always won in the end, said that it would be a bad idea. Not just because of the situation with Haley, but also because I already told Bruce that I was on my way to the Bunker right then and there. Sure, I could always have him drop me off at the Penthouse and head to the Bunker after he left, but I felt like that Tyler even _seeing _where I lived would give away my darkest secret.

To sum it all up, there is no way that I am letting this guy give me a ride anywhere. Period!

"No, that's OK," I said quickly, continuing to leave. "You wouldn't be able to find it anyway."

"OK, uh," he sounded a bit offended. "Wanna hang out sometime?"

He wants to hang out with me? If I was having a good dream, I would want somebody to pinch me right now.

Then again, I wouldn't chicken out in a dream like I just did.

"I'll get back to you on that!" I shouted as I roller-bladed away as fast as I could.

* * *

I have got to be the most unobservant and the most idiotic girl on the planet!

On the way to the Bunker, I kept beating myself up for what happened back there at school with Tyler.

He asked me if I wanted to hang out, and I practically said "No"! I just said "No" to one of the very few guys in the whole student body who didn't seem dumb or act like a complete jerk. And not only did I turn him down, I turned him down in front of my friends, **_and_** in front of Haley Kingston. Can you imagine how much of a field day she's having at this very moment all because of me turning into an idiot every time this particular guy speaks or even looks at me?

As soon as I got to the shipping yards and opened the crate that would take me down to the Bunker, I had another thought.

Wait a second...

Why am I so worried about all of this? It's just a guy.

...But he didn't seem like just any other guy.

I closed the crate door and activated the platform to lower me down to the Bunker, and stayed deep in thought, mentally studying both sides of the issue. Bruce was at the work table looking over some blueprints and maps, possibly studying what he needed to do for his next mission as the Batman. Once the platform came down, I slowly roller-bladed off, my mind elsewhere. Bruce looked over in my direction to say hi and ask me how my day went, but frowned a bit when he saw that I was still in my roller-blades.

"Sarah," he reminded me of one of his rules before going back to work. "No roller-blades in the Bunker."

I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even hear what Bruce had just said to me. My head was still spinning on whether or not I thought the situation with Tyler was a big deal or not. I mean, did I like him or did I really like him?

"Sarah, did you hear what I said?"

And not to mention, did he like me or did he really like me?

"Sarah?"

He doesn't even seem like the type of person who would hang out with Haley. Does that mean he's someone I could trust?

"_Sarah_."

Or is he the type to hang out with Haley and trying to trick me into giving him my trust?

"_**Sarah Chante**_-"

A hot and stinging pain shook me out of the world I had gotten lost in inside my head when my godfather grabbed my forearm to try and get me to pay attention to him. I shut my eyes tightly, wincing and balling my hand up in a fist to deal with the terrible burning sensation.

"Ow!" I sucked the air through my teeth. "Bruce!"

Bruce immediately forgot wanting me to explain why I didn't answer him and loosened his grip on my arm as his face softened from one of those stern looks I had almost received. With just his eyes alone, he asked me what the matter was. I sighed before pulling off a sleeve of my school uniform jacket off my shoulder. When he saw my white blouse stained with blood from the still bleeding cut, he studied it for a bit, rolling the sleeve up to get a better look before turning to me.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked me, concern in his eyes.

I tried shaking my arm away from Bruce's grip a bit, half hoping I would get out of talking about it.

"Nothing," I explained calmly, a hint of irritation in my voice. "It's just a little scratch."

Oh please. Even I knew that was a sad excuse. There was a 2-inch cut on my arm that was still bleeding and I tried to pass it off as a little scratch. My godfather said nothing as he walked back to the work table and cleared off the maps and blueprints he was looking over.

"Come on," he said, patting the space he made on the work table.

I groaned a little as I skated to the table and sat on it while Bruce got out the first aid kit that was over by the computers. I kind of stared at the computers while I took off my roller-blades. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen those computers on. They were always off whenever I came down to the Bunker.

Bruce came back with the first aid kit and set it on the table, pulling out a cloth and that yellow tinted disinfectant that I really hated. I made a small face of irritation before I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth before I felt the stinging sensation on the cut. After a bit, I opened my eyes again and looked a Bruce.

"You're getting better with dealing with the disinfectant," he smiled a little.

"That's what you think," I muttered under my breath.

Bruce only laughed a little. He knew how much I hated this stuff. In fact, he hated it as much as I did. I wouldn't blame him since he used it more than me.

"So what happened?" he asked. "You tripped?"

Oh yeah. I tripped and cut myself while landing on top of a really cute guy I was possibly getting a crush on. There is no way I am telling Bruce that! Not only would it give him the full right to tease me if I mentioned him, but it would also drive him up the wall and he would become even more over-protective.

"Something like that," I said instead.

"...Haley Kingston had nothing to do with it?"

I hesitated at that part. I could tell in Bruce's voice that he already knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear it from me.

"...She had a little part in it," I answered, wincing a little as he cleaned my cut.

"Sarah," he sighed.

Bruce had just finished cleaning my cut when he said my name. He set down the cloth he used for the disinfectant beside me and looked me straight in the eye, making sure I was listening and paying attention to him.

"I'm serious," he started sternly. "The next time she does something to you, I'm calling her parents."

"And what good will that do, Bruce?" I asked, trying to make Bruce understand. "You and I both know that whatever Haley does, right or wrong, they'll always be on her side."

There was a bit of silence then while Bruce put away the disinfectant and cloth, pondering about what I had just said. Sometimes, all it takes a phone call to make someone get off your back. But even though Bruce had that kind of power to get people to do what he wanted with just a dial of the phone, he had no power when it came to business between two girls who attended Gotham City Private.

"You do have a point." he said softly while he went through the first aid kit.

I gave a winced smile, glad to see that he understood the gravity of the situation. A few seconds later, Bruce took out a white bandage from the first aid kit and placed it over the big cut.

"All right," he smiled at me. "There you go."

I smiled back, thanking him quietly.

"Listen," he started again. "I'm leaving for Hong Kong in a few days to get Lau, so you'll be staying with Rachel until Alfred gets back. He'll be returning home before I do."

This made me frown a bit. As much as I loved hanging out with Rachel and all, I hated it when Bruce had to go out of town. I mean, sure, he brings home some really cool presents for me, but it wasn't the same as being able to travel with him. Sometimes, I'm able to go with him, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to come along on this particular trip. If he was getting Lau, then that must mean he was going to break out the Batman suit.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked.

"I'll be back the day before your birthday," he answered, smiling more. "I promise."

...I smiled a little. If there was one thing I knew very well about Bruce, it was that smile of his. Even though most of the time, I can never tell what he was thinking, I can always tell what was exactly on his mind when he smiled like he was right now.

"You can pull that charming smile of yours all you want," I told him straight up. "I'm still not going to tell you what I want for my birthday."

That made Bruce laugh a bit. He knew he had been caught.

"And why not?" he asked, still smiling.

"Because if I tell you," I started laughing a little. "You'll get it for me."

"That's the idea, Sarah," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know," I agreed, smiling. Then it turned into a bit of a concerned frown. "But, Bruce, I can tell that you're driving yourself crazy over this whole birthday thing. Why?"

Bruce frowned a little when I asked him that and turned away from facing me.

"Sarah..." he sighed.

Instead of looking at me, my godfather focused his attention on the blueprints he was studying earlier, trying to look for a way to avoid answering my question. For a while, it was quiet between us. Nevertheless, I patiently waited for an answer while I thought of why my birthday made Bruce feel so anxious. Was it because he didn't know how to celebrate a teenage girl's birthday very well? Was he trying to make up for all the birthdays I had and he was never there for?

"It's your first birthday without your parents," he finally told me.

"...I know," I said softly.

As the day of my birthday drew near, the thought of my parents not being able to be there to celebrate with everyone else I loved always crossed my mind. At first, the thought made me sad. But in the end, I knew that my parents would've wanted me to celebrate life instead of mourning the fact that they can't be there with me.

Bruce, however, seemed to be a different story. For almost a month now, I could tell that he's been feeling frantic with all the running around, trying to find out what it was that I wanted more than anything in the world. One time, I even caught him asking Kayla to find out for him when my friends were over and he was actually home.

"I'm guessing you want it to be perfect," I assumed.

"Yeah," he nodded.

I sighed, slipping off the work table and standing beside my godfather.

"Bruce," I started. "Not all birthdays are meant to be perfect."

"I know," he said. "But I want yours to be."

I smiled a little. I knew he meant well, but he just needed to chill out about the whole thing and not worry.

"And," I thought out loud for him, grabbing my backpack and roller-blades. "You think that me telling you what I really want for my birthday, something I want more than anything in the world, will determine the outcome of this perfect birthday?"

Bruce nodded, wordlessly telling me that I assumed correctly.

"So-," he started, hoping to get one tiny answer out of me.

"Forget about it," I interrupted, smirking as I turned to use the secret passage-way to the Penthouse. "I like being surprised anyway."

Bruce smirked a little.

"Like this?" he asked.

The next thing I knew, my godfather pulled me into his arms from behind, and I was soon laughing uncontrollably as he tickled my sides.

"Bruce!" I laughed, trying to get out of his tickling bear hug. "Come on! I have a lot of homework to do!"

"All right," he said laughing, kissing the top of my head before letting me go. "Go on. Tell Alfred I'll be back by dinner."

No. Way.

Bruce home by dinner?

"Gee," I said teasingly as I walked away. "There's something that doesn't happen every night."

"I heard that," he winked at me before going back to work.

* * *

True to his word, Bruce actually did make it to dinner in time. Alfred and I were really surprised when that happened. In fact, we even had a little bet going on. When I told Alfred that Bruce said he would actually be home for dinner instead of working around the clock like he usually did, Alfred didn't believe me at first. He said that if it didn't happen, then I would have to do the dishes for a week.

Long story short, I won.

Later that night, I was sitting at the kitchen counter, finishing up my Science homework while Alfred was busy washing the dishes at the sink.

...Actually, I finished my homework a half hour earlier. Instead, I was just doodling in my Science notebook. You know, like hearts, small swirls, flowers-Basically, if it popped into my mind, I drew it around my science notes...A small drawing of a bat even showed up once or twice...

OK, I admit it. I was thinking about Tyler. I mean, what is going on here? Was I getting some sort of crush or something? One minute I'm almost hating his guts because he's friends with Haley (And I know that's really not a good enough reason to hate someone), and the next minute, I'm writing his name and drawing a heart around it...

And yet, here I still sit in the kitchen, elbow propped on the counter, with my chin resting in my hand as I lazily drew hearts that covered every space available around notes I should be studying.

"Ah, young love."

It was Alfred's voice that brought me out of Dream-Land. Almost jumping because it had been so quiet before, I looked up at the kind old man, focusing my attention on what he had to say.

"Huh?" I asked.

Alfred had this small, amused smile on his face as he looked at me for a second, and turned back to the sink full of dishes. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, wondering what was so amusing to him.

"I've seen that look many times before," he explained as he washed the dishes, a chuckle hidden somewhere in his voice. "Your mother had it whenever she thought about your father. Master Wayne gets it when he thinks about Miss Dawes..."

In the middle of him speaking, I knew exactly what it was that Alfred was talking about. He seemed to think that me in that sort of situation was cute, but I didn't want to admit that I was falling for Tyler Jamestown.

"I don't get it," I said innocently.

"Oh, but I believe you do," Alfred said, his smile widening. "So..."

He looked at me while wiping his hands on his apron.

"Who is the young man who has captured your heart?" he asked.

I smiled, knowing that I had been caught. There was no hiding anything around Alfred, especially when it came to things like this. He seemed OK with the fact that I was getting a little crush, but I still denied it.

"He hasn't captured my heart, Alfred," I tried to convince him, putting my notebook in my backpack that was right by me.

"So he's on the hunt then," Alfred remarked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Very funny," I laughed a little.

"Do you know anything about him?"

Thinking for a moment as I finished packing my stuff for tomorrow, I wondered about the very few things I knew about Tyler.

"There's not much to know," I started, sounding like I was serious about the topic. "His name's Tyler Jamestown, he moved here from New York City, he's in the eighth grade, I accidentally knocked him over after school today, Oh! And he's friends with Haley Kingston. That alone tells me everything I need to know about him."

Yep. I was still wary of Tyler's friendship with Haley. But can you blame me? Almost anyone who's even friends with Haley Kingston automatically has me at the top of their "Hate List". I was pretty comfortable with my statement about the eighth grader, but then I caught Alfred frowning in disappointment.

"Miss Sarah," Alfred started sternly. "I'm appalled at this sort of behavior you're showing."

Feeling guilty, I looked down at the counter for a bit. I always felt bad when I did something to make Alfred speak to me like that. Bruce felt the same way too. I mean, if Alfred spoke to you like he just spoke to me, and you didn't feel guilty, then there was something seriously wrong with you. Alfred continued speaking to me as he rinsed some more dishes.

"You of all people should know never to judge a person by the mask he wears until you get to know the face behind the mask itself," he reminded me. "I'm sure Master Wayne taught you that."

"Where is Bruce anyway?" I asked.

"Upstairs."

I nodded in understanding. If Bruce was upstairs, then that must mean the signal wasn't on tonight. Whenever Gordon doesn't turn on the signal on top of the M.C.U, Bruce usually stays at the Penthouse and allows himself some peace and quiet until around midnight. That was when he would suit up and go on patrol and make sure nothing bad was going on in Gotham. At the mention of Bruce, my mind started to review Bruce's behavior over the past few days. One behavior in particular stuck out...

"Alfred," I started carefully. "Can I talk to you about something? And promise you won't say anything to Bruce."

"You do have a crush on this boy, don't you?" Alfred thought we were on the same subject.

I would've laughed, but...This was kind of a serious and personal issue I wanted to discuss.

"It's not about the guy, Alfred," I explained.

For a while, Alfred stared at me, knowing immediately that what I was about to tell him required him to keep it a secret from Bruce. On any other thing, I wouldn't ask Alfred to keep anything a secret from me, especially from Bruce, but...I just didn't want Bruce to know what I was feeling right now. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Alfred dried off his hands, and came over to sit with me at the kitchen counter. He took my hand in both of his, and looked at me.

"Miss Sarah," he started softly. "You know that you can tell me anything in confidence."

Alfred then looked at me straight in the eye to make sure I was paying attention to what he said next.

"But need I remind you about a certain promise that you and Master Wayne made?"

"I'll talk to him about it," I reassured him, before looking down a bit. "...Just when I feel comfortable talking to him about it..."

Honestly, the idea of not talking to Bruce about this right away made me feel guilty on levels I didn't think had existed. When I found out he was Batman, we both promised each other that we wouldn't keep anything a secret from each other. Now, after a whole year, I was about to break that promise.

"All right then," Alfred understood. "What is it?"

I took a breath, let it out when I relaxed myself, and looked at Alfred, beginning to tell him what it was that was bothering me.

"Well," I started. "Bruce has been acting...weird, lately. I mean, it's like...I don't know. Every time something Batman related is mentioned whenever I'm around, he just tenses up..."

Alfred said nothing when he learned that it was Bruce uncomfortable around me when Batman was even thought about that made me so worried. I didn't even know why he was uncomfortable with the subject. If I know who Batman is, then why was my godfather acting like it's something I shouldn't even know about in the first place? Alfred just stood up from where he was sitting and went back to the sink.

"I believe that this is for you and Master Wayne to discuss," he finally expressed his opinion softly.

I sighed quietly and looked down at my hands in my lap. I was afraid he was going to say something like that.

"But I will say this."

My head looked up and stared at Alfred, wondering what it was that he was about to say.

"He is rather worried about you."

This statement made me blink my eyes a few times in confusion.

"He-he's worried about me?" I asked."...Why is he worried about me?"

"I'm afraid the only thing he replied was that he was worried about what you might become," he said.

Alfred didn't say anything else on the subject. I was kind of hoping that he would since I didn't know what it was that my godfather feared I might become. When I was sure that Alfred wasn't going to say anymore on the matter, I excused myself from the kitchen as I gathered my textbooks, quietly said good night, and left to go get ready for bed.

Deep in thought, I silently walked up the winding black staircase, clutching my books to my chest. A part of me was worried about Bruce, and why he was worried about me. I tried to think of what I had done in the past that would cause him to be so concerned, but I couldn't come across anything in particular.

You know, now that I think about it, if anyone should be worried about anyone, it should be me worried about me. I was worried because he wasn't telling me anything. Bruce wasn't talking to me.

He didn't want to tell me about his really bad dog bite that required a lot of stitches.

He practically lied straight to my face about being on my balcony and checking on me while he's still Batman.

And now he's not telling me that he's worried about me becoming whatever it is he's afraid I'll become.

What is going on with my godfather? Why is he keeping things from me?

...OK, granted I shouldn't be talking. I mean, I have the batarang hidden under my pillow and kept it with me at all times; I'm not telling him how much I miss Batman; and I'm certainly not telling him about Tyler Jamestown. But those are totally different, right?

By the time I had thought about all of this, I was already in my pajamas and in bed. Over and over again I thought about all the things that worried me. I wasn't going to get any sleep at all if these haunting things were plaguing my head. There was only one way to get rid of those terrible thoughts, even though I felt uncomfortable about it.

I was going to have to talk to Bruce.

Pulling the covers off, I grabbed my purple bathrobe and started making my way toward my godfather's room. At first, I felt pretty confidant about talking to Bruce about what was on my mind. However, as soon as I got to the doorway, I stopped.

There he was, sitting in one of the black chairs facing the windows that overlooked the entire city, reading a book. I felt that one step into his room, and I would disturb him. An uncomfortable feeling in my stomach grew as I realized I didn't want to talk to Bruce about him being worried about me. What if he got mad when I asked him why? What if he would just lie to me again? I made up my mind, and started to walk back to my room. It was getting late, anyway...

"Did you need something?" he suddenly asked.

I whipped myself around and found my godfather looking over his shoulder at me, smiling his infamous amused smile. But what I didn't understand is how he saw me in the first place? He didn't even look up from his book for a second.

"How did you-?" I started.

Then it hit me when Bruce's smile widened a little.

The "always mind your surroundings" trick must have kicked in or something like that.

"Right, sorry," I laughed, embarrassed a little. "Sometimes I forget."

"That's all right," he smiled as I walked over to him.

I didn't know why I started walking into his room to sit with him, even when I had already made up my mind about going back to bed. But I still felt comfortable just sitting with him. It always made me feel safe to know that he was right there next to me, and I guess I needed that at the moment. There was room on the chair for both of us to sit, so I sat next to him, resting my head against his chest as his arm draped over my back, tucking my legs near my chest as if it would keep my feet warm.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"My father's journal," he answered. "…Thankfully, it was one of the few things that didn't perish in the fire last year."

I nodded in understanding and Bruce went back to reading the journal. A peaceful silence hung in the air as I stared at the black, hard-bound journal. The corners were either bent or burnt and a few of the pages looked like they had caught fire around the edges. Other than that, the journal seemed to be in pretty good shape.

"Bruce?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"What was your dad like?"

Bruce looked up from the journal, and I could tell he was starting to go through his memories, wondering how he could answer my question in the best way possible. I don't think I have ever asked my godfather about his father. For the past year, I would hear Thomas Wayne's name come up on a few occasions and in some conversations, praising him and mourning his loss. However, none of those situations gave me the opportunity to understand who Thomas Wayne was as a person. Bruce was the one who held the key to my question, but I never thought it would be appropriate to ask him about his father.

"He was gentle," he finally answered me. "…He always spoke calmly and softly…I had never known him to raise his voice…"

"Would he have liked me?" I wondered.

My godfather just looked at me and smiled softly.

"He would have loved you," he said in a proud voice, pulling me close to him. "He would have loved you like you were his own daughter. I know that's how he treated your mother."

That made me smile, knowing that a good man like Bruce's father looked out for my mother when she was around my age. For a while, Bruce was silent, and I could tell that another memory had entered his mind from the look of his face. I just stared at him, wondering what he was thinking as he stared out the window.

"You know," he started softly. "When I was around six years old, your mother had come to stay with us for a week during a cold winter. The first day she was there, we spent all day playing outside in the snow…" Bruce's face fell into a soft frown. "But the next day, she was too sick to even open her eyes."

"How did she get sick?" I asked curiously. "Did you get sick?"

"No," Bruce shook his head. "I was just fine. When I told my father that something was wrong with your mother, he quickly got his medicine bag, went to your mother's room and tried to figure out what was wrong with her. He got an answer from her when she came to for a bit. Apparently, she had snuck out in the middle of the night to go sledding on the slope near the mansion in only a coat, pajamas, and snow boots."

For a small moment, he looked at me.

"She liked to sneak out a lot," he explained, a small smile on his face.

I smiled back a little, knowing that he was practically telling me that my mother was a little rebellious when she was around my age.

"My father never left your mother's side for the next two days," he continued the story. "I remember watching him from the doorway dab her forehead with cool washcloths to try to bring the fever down, trying to get her to eat something, and putting hot water bottles underneath the covers to keep her warm. I was so afraid that she was going to die…"

Bruce was silent for a little bit again before looking at me.

"But, of course," he smiled at me. "On the third day, I found her able to sit up in bed and actually eating on her own. I made her swear from the day forward to never sneak out at night again."

He stared at me with that smile as it widened.

"Then again," he added with a small chuckle. "Your mother never did listen to me."

That made me laugh a little, but in a tired way. Bruce pulled me closer to him in a loving way.

"My father loved your mother very much," he said softly. "And that's more than enough for me to know that he would have loved you."

I thought about what Bruce had said about my mother and the father/daughter relationship she had with his father for a while...Mom didn't tell anyone she was sneaking out and that resulted in her being dreadfully sick...What would happen to me if I don't ask Bruce what he was so worried about?

My godfather suddenly noticed the uneasy and anxious vibes I was giving off and stared at me in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing I just-" I started softly.

I looked at Bruce...Did I really want to ask him?...Would he even tell me what he was so worried about?

"...I just didn't have a good day at school today," I lied, snuggling closer to him. "That's all."

I don't believe it.

I lied.

I actually lied to my godfather. I lied right to his face.

And the worst part about that lie?

He actually bought it.

"I see," he whispered."... Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I shook my head tiredly. "I just want to forget about it. You know, keep on moving forward."

I could feel Bruce look down at me as I closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest. At first, I thought he could see right through me and could tell what I really wanted to ask. But then I felt him softly stroking the strands of my hair between his fingers and kiss the top of my head.

"That's my girl," he said approvingly.

He went back to reading his father's journal, and I rested there, feeling guilty about keeping my feelings a secret, and slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

My eyes flew open and I sat up from where I laid with a frightened gasp escaping my lips. As I took deep breaths, I noticed I was still in Bruce's room, and that I had fallen asleep next to him on his small couch. A blanket was over my shoulders, and I wrapped that around me to comfort me. When I woke up all of a sudden, Bruce took notice of this and put down his father's journal and leaned forward, trying to get me to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately worried.

"Ah," I held my head in my hands, taking deep breaths. "I don't know…Nightmare, I guess."

"What was it about?"

For what seemed like a long while, I sat on the couch, leaned forward so I could stare at the carpet below me, trying to remember what my subconcious had thought up in my dream and why it had frightened me so. But, like most dreams, I couldn't remember right away.

"I can't remember," I simply answered.

"...It's probably just as well," Bruce said in a low voice.

The funny thing about dreams and nightmares were was that you can never really remember them until later in the day when you're awake. In most cases, they are forgotten, like the nightmare I had that night. But even though I couldn't remember what it was about, I did know that it scared me. Next to me, Bruce looked at his watch and noticed how late it was.

"We should probably get you into bed," Bruce put his book on the coffee table. "Come on."

My godfather got up from his seat, and hooked one arm under my legs and the other around my shoulders, getting ready to take me to bed for the night before he went on patrol.

"But I'm not tired," I yawned, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Nice try," he laughed a little.

I was too tired to protest anymore, even though I kind of dreaded going back to sleep for fear of reliving the forgotten nightmare. But I felt a sort of peace in Bruce's arms as he carried me from his room to mine. It was the kind of peace that spoke to me. It would always whisper comforting things to me and assure me that everything was all right. Before I knew it, I felt myself being lowered gently onto my bed and the covers being pulled over me. As I settled to go back to sleep, I felt Bruce's familiar shadow loom over me as he did what he usually did when he said good night to me. Sweep the hair out of my face, kiss me on the forehead and say:

"Sleep well, Sarah Chante."

By now, I was positive that it was Batman who had said the same thing to me just a few nights before...There was one question I had to ask Bruce before he left.

"Bruce?" I caught his hand before he could walk away from the side of my bed.

"Yeah?" he looked back.

"...Are you mad at me?"

Silence filled between us for a few seconds before I felt Bruce's confused expression on his face looking at me.

"...What?" he asked.

My godfather sat on the edge of the bed next to me, gently turning my tired head his way so I could face him.

"Why would you ask me a question like that?" he inquired softly, concerned.

I bit my lip before answering.

"I keep getting this weird vibe from you that I did something I wasn't supposed to do," I explained.

"Sarah..."

Bruce calmly stroked the hair on my head in a comforting way as he looked at me, that small reassuring smile on his face.

"I could never be mad at you."

* * *

_**(A/N: OK. I know that she haven't updated since February, but let me explain what's been going on with me.**_

_**1. I had college. For those of you who know what that's like, I'm sure you understand the pressure.**_

_**2. I'm transferring so I can be closer to home and so I can minor in Criminology.**_

_**3. I was having a lot of nightmares of someone who shall remain nameless killing me. It got so bad one week, it actually made me physically sick. So sick that my roommates had to feed me even though I kept throwing up. Trust me. It wasn't pretty.**_

_**4. I've been going on dates.**_

_**5.I've been helping my family around the house all day.**_

_**I'm already working on chapter 8, so hopefully, it won't be too long of a wait next time. So you guys know the drill, review, give ideas that you think would be great for the story...and wait for the next chapter. It won't be a long wait this time, I promise.)**_


	8. You Can't Protect Me All The Time

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

The following afternoon, I was walking into the kitchen when I got home from school. After setting my backpack on the counter by the fridge, I noticed Alfred saying goodbye to someone on the phone while scribbling down some notes on a small pad of paper.

"Who was that on the phone, Alfred?" I asked, looking through the fridge for a soda.

"A catering company, Miss Sarah," Alfred answered. "For next week."

Usually, I dismissed the words "catering company" into the "Stuff-I-Shouldn't-Worry-About" bin in my brain. But in this case, I didn't. I remembered that next week was my birthday, the only event I knew of that was worthy of a party to everyone else but me.

"Bruce..." I sighed in distress, taking out a can of Wild Cherry Pepsi soda from the fridge. "Tell me you didn't..."

"It's not for your birthday," Alfred chuckled a bit. "I give you my word."

"Oh," I was relieved at that when I snapped my drink open. "Good."

As I took a sip of my drink, I noticed I still had that uncomfortable feeling in my gut.

"Wait..." I said cautiously.

If the catering company wasn't for my birthday...

"Then what else could the catering company be for?"

"Master Wayne is hosting a fund-raising party for Harvey Dent," Alfred answered me again, making his way to check on the roast in the oven for tonight's dinner. "That is to take place the night before your birthday."

...Bruce is doing **_what_** for Harvey Dent?

I was in mid-sip of my soda when the news of Harvey Dent's fund-raising party next week started making me cough my lungs out. Alfred quickly came over to my side and started patting me on the back.

"Miss Sarah," he took my soda away from me when the coughing stopped. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said in a small voice, nodding in a way to tell Alfred I was OK.

After making sure I was fine, Alfred went back to preparing tonight's dinner. For a moment, I stayed quiet, contemplating the events that were to happen soon...Taking a deep breath, I turned to Alfred.

"Alfred," I started. "We can't have a party here for Harvey Dent."

"Oh?" Alfred turned and raised an eyebrow in interest at me. "We can't?"

"We can't."

Alfred stopped marinating the roast beef for a moment, and turned his full attention towards me.

"And may I ask _why_?" he asked in an inquiring voice.

"...Because..." I stalled a bit.

Great. I hated it when Alfred did this: Ask me a question I knew I wouldn't have a good enough answer for unless I lied, and we all know how I great I am at lying about things that weren't related to Batman.

"I..."

Alfred gave me a look that said: "I'm waiting". In the end, I caved, and told him why I really didn't want to have a party for Harvey Dent here at the penthouse.

"I-I don't like him, OK?" I explained in an exasperated tone. "When I met him, he started asking very personal questions, I feel totally uncomfortable around him, and he's-**_Ugh_**! Why can't Bruce cancel?"

"Miss Sarah, what has gotten into you lately?" Alfred asked, surprised at my behavior. "I know you're not the type of person to judge books by their covers. And your godfather can't cancel. It's too late. The arrangements have already been made, and the guests have already been invited."

I groaned in defeat and despair, sat on a stool by the kitchen counter, and placed my head on it. Perfect. Just perfect. Another social affair to keep up appearances and all that crap. And to top it all off, Dent was going to be the guest of honor.

"Oh, cheer up." Alfred patted me lovingly on the head after he put dinner in the oven. "I know something that will have you looking forward to this party in a heartbeat."

That stopped my train of thought on how much this fund-raising party was going to suck, and I lifted my head up to look at Alfred.

"How so?" I asked.

"That boy you mentioned," Alfred started ."Wasn't his last name Jamestown?"

"..._Why_?..."

"Well, it just so happens that his father and your godfather had a little business meeting yesterday morning and Master Wayne invited him and his family to the fund-raising party."

For a moment, I was pretty quiet, and my face showed no expression on it. But inside, I was practically screaming: "_**Bruce did what**_?".

"He _**didn't**_," I prayed that it wasn't true.

"He _**did**_," Alfred confirmed once more.

So much for praying.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. This was a peachy day...Note the sarcasm...

"Great," I drawled out my voice.

"You seem dismayed," Alfred noted.

Dang right I was dismayed! Nevertheless, I tried to stay optimistic about the situation.

"Well," I sighed, sitting up a bit more in my seat. "As long as the Kingstons' aren't on the guest list..."

I trailed off when I noticed the look on Alfred's face. It was sort of in a wince...like he knew that there was something else about this party that I wasn't going to like.

"They are, aren't they?" I inquired, my voice low in disgust.

Alfred nodded slowly and carefully as if the answer would turn me into Godzilla and cause havoc. Thankfully, I'm more subtle than that. Instead, I just hopped off my seat in the kitchen.

"Well," I stated. "That settles it."

Starting to head out of the kitchen and upstairs to my room, I passed by Bruce on the way, who had grease stains all over his face (Probably from working on the engine in the Tumbler), and wiping his hands on a dirty dish rag while walking over to the kitchen.

"I'll be in my room during Harvey Dent's party," I informed him.

Before I even took the first step on the staircase, I felt Bruce's greasy fingertips grab my forearm and pull me back to face him.

"Ah," he said. "No you're not."

"Eww! Bruce!" I furiously rubbed the greasy fingerprints Bruce left on my arm off. "Gross!"

"You will be down here with me, Alfred, and the guests."

"But did you have to invite the Kingston family?"

To this question, Bruce frowned. He disliked the Kingston family almost as much as I did. The history between Archibald Kingston (Haley's father) and Bruce didn't seem like a very pleasant one. I never asked why they disliked each other. It didn't seem any of my business.

"Unfortunately, yes," he sighed, going over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. "They're making donations to the fund-raiser. And I know Haley won't exactly be on her best behavior, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be either. Treat her as you treat the other guests-"

Yeah. Like _**that**_ was ever going to happen.

"Aw, Bruce," I interrupted, complaining about the option of being nice to Haley while I washed my hands too to rid myself of the grease on my skin. "Come on! She's a freaking-"

"-_**Or**_," Bruce gave me a stern look. "Ignore her."

Rolling my eyes, I surrendered the issue over the fact that I had to treat Haley nice. Bruce knew very well she and I didn't exactly get along like we were BFF's or something, but he did have a point about being on my best behavior. I guess he didn't want another mark on my record for being the Princess of Gotham after last year's fiasco with the punch...

...To this day, I still don't regret throwing my drink on that spoiled brat's dress...

But there was one other problem that still wasn't clear to me.

"And the Jamestowns?" I asked.

"The Jamestown Family is new to the city," Bruce shrugged as he finished washing his hands. "I wanted to make them feel welcome. They have a son about a year older than you. His name is Tyler. Have you met him?"

"Actually, Master Wayne," Alfred chimed in with a chuckle. "You could say they 'bumped' into each other."

My face was burning red with embarrassment, and I could feel Bruce glance at both Alfred and I, wondering what on earth it was that Alfred meant. Before he could ask me, I avoided Bruce by quickly heading upstairs to my room.

"I'll be upstairs," I talked in a fast pace. "I've got homework."

* * *

I had forgotten all about the whole situation about Harvey Dent's party an hour and half into my American History homework. Studying seemed to take my mind off of the stressful things that usually got to me, like school, and so I thought it would help me forget about what happened in the kitchen.

Bruce didn't come up to my room just yet to ask what was bothering me, thank goodness. He was probably still working on the Tumbler. The last thing I wanted to talk about was me getting a crush on-

My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by computer making a beeping sound twice. I looked away from my textbook for a moment and stared at the screen. Looks like someone was wanting to chat with me online.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ Hey Sarah!

_**TylerJ0910:**_ It's Tyler Jamestown from school!

...

What. In. The. World?

Why was Tyler Jamestown talking to me? Did he really want to hang out with me or something?...Wait a minute.

How did he get my screen-name in the first place? I don't exactly pass out that information to strangers like candy.

I decided to chat with Tyler to get some light shed on that issue.

_**SarahC0718:**_ How did you get my IM screen-name?

_**TylerJ0910:**_ A girl from school gave it to me after you left yesterday.

_**SarahC0718:**_ What girl?

_**TylerJ0910:**_ I don't remember her name.

_**TylerJ0910: **_She had braided pigtails and was biting her nails.

Braided pigtails? Nail-biting? Only one person could fit that description (especially if there was nail biting).

Kayla.

_**SarahC0718:**_ Ha-ha.

_**SarahC0718:**_ That was Kayla.

_**SarahC0718:**_ She's a friend of mine.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ That was her name!

_**TylerJ0910: **_Thanks for clearing that up!

_**SarahC0718:**_ You're welcome.

_**SarahC0718:**_ Hang on a sec.

_**SarahC0718:**_ I'll be right back.

I went temporarily offline for a few minutes and made a dash for my cell phone. Mumbling under my breath and drumming my fingers on my desk, I waited for someone to answer.

Mark my words, this was going to be a dark day for Kayla Marianne March...

...She'd probably burst out laughing if she knew I thought that. But she was definitely in big trouble.

Ally was the one who answered the phone after letting it ring for a few seconds.

"Hey Sarah," Ally said. "What's up? Hey, since you're on the phone, can you tell me what we had to do a report on for-"

"Get your cousin on the phone," I said through my teeth. "**Now**!"

There was a bit of silence on the other line until I heard my best friend give an annoyed grunt.

"All right," she sighed. "What'd she do now?"

"Ally," I didn't have time, nor the patience, to explain. "Get Kayla on the phone."

"...But...My biology report-"

"_**You're supposed to do a report on the theory of evolution! OK? Get Kayla now**_!"

I could tell Ally went to go get her cousin because I could hear the phone drop on the other line in reaction to my sudden outburst. A few seconds later, I could hear her shout: "Kayla! Phone! It's Sarah!...You better have a good excuse for pissing her off like this."

Shortly after that was said, Kayla's chirpy voice sounded in my ear.

"Hey Sarah!" she greeted enthusiastically. "How's my favorite teen celebrity?"

"Oh, don't act so innocent!" I snapped. "You are so dead when I get my hands on you!"

For a moment, just a small moment, I instantly knew that Kayla had this mischevious grin on her face.

"How is Tyler?" she asked in a sweet voice.

I looked back at my computer screen at the mention of Tyler for a small second, my anger and frustration disappearing for a bit.

"He's fine, I guess," I answered. "But that's not the point! You gave him my screen-name without my permission! Why?"

"OK," Kayla sounded calm and cool as she explained. "First of all, there's a really cute guy who obviously has a thing for you, and you don't want to do anything about it...Second of all, it was Ally's idea."

"Kayla, don't you think it's a little bit low to blame this on Ally?"

"Actually, Sarah," Ally must've grabbed the phone from Kayla when she heard me say that. "It _was_ my idea."

...Well that was unexpected.

Usually Kayla is the one who likes to meddle into a lot of situations like this. But Ally has never meddled anything in my life for almost a year now!

I heard another sound beep twice on my computer as another message came up.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ Still there?

"He's asking for me," I said. "I'll have to call you back later. But both of you..." I sighed in frustration once again, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Both of you are in so much trouble."

"We only did it because we love you like a sister," Kayla reasoned proudly.

"Don't bother trying to get back on her good side, Kayla," Ally warned her cousin. "We're in trouble no matter what. Bye Sarah...And give us details!"

The last sentence made me roll my eyes a bit as my two friends hung up, but I went back to the IM conversation I was having with Tyler Jamestown.

Was it normal for my heart to pound so hard just because I was talking with this boy?

_**SarahC0718:**_ Yeah, I'm still here.

_**SarahC0718:**_ I just had a phone call.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ OK.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ So tell me a little bit about yourself.

Wait a minute. Why is he asking me for my life story? Did he have any idea who I was?

I typed back with my eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

_**SarahC0718:**_...I'm Bruce Wayne's goddaughter.

_**SarahC718:**_ Don't you think you would know everything about me from the moment you first saw me?

_**TylerJ0910:**_ Actually...

_**TylerJ0910:**_ I didn't know who you were when we met at the pool.

...Wow...

In all my life, I never thought that that would be the most romantic thing I have ever heard! Or in this case, read!

But before I could smile and allow myself to blush, a knock sounded on my bedroom door and Bruce walked in without asking if he could come in.

Perfect timing, Bruce! Just _**perfect**_ timing!

"Sarah," he walked toward me, hands in his pockets and a concerned look on his face. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," I quickly and calmly explained. "I just need you to go right now."

That only made Bruce look more concerned, maybe even a little suspicious.

"_Why_?" he asked in a cautious voice.

"Nothing," I said in gritted teeth. "I'm talking with someone. Just go!"

"Who are you talking to?"

At this point, Bruce started coming over to my computer to see who I was talking to.

Oh no. No way. There is no way on this good earth that I am sharing this with my godfather!

So what do I do?

Well, we all know that my godfather is five times stronger than me. However, in this case, I was apparently stronger than him.

I jumped off of my desk chair and started pushing Bruce out of my room as quickly as I can, while he surprisingly let himself be shoved out the door by his petite teenage goddaughter.

"_**Get out, Bruce**_!" I shouted. "_**Go, go, go, go, go**_!"

Before Bruce had a chance to react to my behavior, I had already closed and locked my door with lightning bolt speed and rushed back to my computer before any more time passed by. I quickly typed my question and let out a sigh of relief as I slumped back into my chair.

_**SarahC0718:**_ You didn't know who I was?

_**TylerJ0910:**_ No.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ My friends had to tell me after I got you out of the pool.

_**TylerJ0910:**_ They couldn't believe that I didn't know who you were at first.

All of a sudden, my cell phone started ringing, making me jump in my seat a little, but I answered it without even looking at the caller I.D.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, it's Rachel."

Oh crap! Rachel! I'll be on the phone forever now!

"Bruce called me and said you just kicked him out of your room in a rush," Rachel said. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

Great. How was I going to get out of this one? I can't exactly hang up on Rachel. She'll be ticked! And I can't lie about what's going on. She'll know for sure!

"Oh," I groaned. "Rachel-"

"No, you're not getting out of this," she stopped me in a stern voice. "You tell me right now what's going on, so I can tell your godfather that it's nothing he should worry about."

"Rachel, please-"

"Sarah Elisabeth Chante, I am not going to ask you again, young lady."

Everyone knows that when your parent calls you by your full name, you know that you're in trouble. Bruce hasn't done it, but Rachel definitely has called me by my full name before. The last time she did was when I accidentally said a swear word in front of her and Bruce during Thanksgiving when I saw how big the turkey was. My godfather still laughs about it, but Rachel is still kinda disappointed at that.

Another beep sounded on my computer.

_**Tyler0910:**_ Still there?

At this point, I knew Tyler was getting impatient on waiting to hear back from me. I finally caved and told Rachel what was going on.

"OK, OK!" I confessed. "There's this guy at school and he's talking to me on IM right now, and I think he likes me, and I don't know if I like him like he likes me, and I didn't want Bruce to know! Please don't tell him, Rachel!"

"...I'll tell him it's a girl thing," Rachel finally said after a bit of silence. "That'll get him to stop asking questions. That also means that you and I are going to have a very important talk this weekend. Do you understand me?"

Even though she still had a bit of a stern tone in her voice, I was so relieved that Rachel understood my situation.

"Yes," I told her I understood.

"All right," I could now hear the smile in her voice. "Good luck, sweetheart. And by the way, we're going to have to talk about this boy too. I've actually been waiting for the day when you would get your first crush."

"OK," I laughed a bit. "Bye Rachel."

"Bye sweetheart."

Once again, another beep sounded on my computer as I hung up my cell phone. I was getting ready to type a response until I completely read Tyler's message.

_**Tyler0910:**_ Hey, I don't know where you went, but I gotta go. Haley and I are gonna go see a movie tonight. I'll talk to you later!

Another beep.

_**Tyler0910 is offline.**_

...Oh...He's going to see a movie with Haley tonight...That sounded like fun...I guess...

Well, that sums everything up into a neat little package! Tyler Jamestown obviously likes Haley Kingston more than me!

Practically in a furious manner, I logged off my IM browser, shut down my computer for the day, and rushed to my bed, pulling the covers over my whole body to hide myself away from the rest of the world. At this time, Bruce had come back to my room, knocking first before opening the door. I didn't see it, but I could feel his confused stare and amused smirk aim in my direction.

"What are you doing?" he almost chuckled as he walked over to my bed and sat down beside my huddled, blanket-covered body.

"Trying to crawl into someplace dark and die of embarassment!" I exclaimed, curling my body into a tighter ball.

My godfather seemed to have slightly different plans in mind. I felt him grab the top of my blanket and pulled it down enough to see my face.

"Not today," he patted my leg before getting up to leave. "Come on. We're going for a drive."

"I don't feel like going on a drive in the city, Bruce," I pulled the blanket back over me.

Bruce came back and pulled the blanket out of my face again. This time, I could see the stern look in his eyes.

"It's not a request," he said. "It's an order. Now let's go."

* * *

After a half hour of trying to get me out of my bed and face the world, I finally waved the white flag of surrender and let Bruce drive me around the city in his Lamborghini Murcielago. Just like the other day after getting pushed into the pool by Haley, I sat in the passenger seat with arms folded across my chest and a sour look staring straight ahead at the road as a beautiful orange sun began to settle in for the night. Most of the drive was quiet until Bruce decided to break the ice.

"So," he let out a breath. "You want to talk about it?"

"No," I almost growled.

"Why not?"

"Because it would be pointless."

Bruce looked at me for a second, but I didn't return his gaze, so he looked back to focus on the road. I didn't know whether or not he knew about my growing crush with Tyler. All I knew was that I didn't want to talk about it. In my head, the only images I could see were of Tyler and Hayley-The two of them holding hands, laughing, sharing popcorn at the movies...

I never thought I would be jealous of Haley Kingston for something she had until now.

I looked at Bruce for a second, who had his attention focused primarily on the road ahead of him...I wonder...

"Bruce?" I asked softly.

"Yeah?" he answered, almost sounding happy that I wanted to talk.

"...How much do you love Rachel?"

This time, it was Bruce's turn to be silent. I could tell that he was having trouble trying to answer me. Never before had I asked him if he had feelings for Rachel. I mean, I always knew he had. There was no denying the looks in his eyes when she came by to visit.

After a while, Bruce looked at me and smiled a bit.

"I love her as much as I loved your mother," he said, glancing back and forth between me and the road.

"So..." I thought out loud. "You love her like a sister. Right?"

"That's right," Bruce nodded once, a smile on his face. "Like a sister."

"...Bullcrap, Bruce."

My godfather, instead of scolding me, just chuckled in his throat, glancing at me with a twinkle in his green eyes. I smiled back at him, almost laughing myself.

"Why the sudden interest of my relationship with Rachel?" he asked, still smiling. "Hmm?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know," I kind of lied. "...Bruce...Do you love her?"

"You already asked me that question, Sarah."

"No, I mean...Do you _love_ her?"

For a moment, Bruce looked at me in a strange way, as if I had spiders crawling out of my ears or something. He then pulled into a parking lot by Gotham City Park near the duck pond, probably wanting to talk about this and keep his full attention on the subject rather than keep half of that attention on the road.

"Come on," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning off the engine. "Let's go for a walk."

I got out of the car with my godfather and started to walk with him by the pond. A few minutes of silence passed between us. The day was coming near an end; the sun was slowly setting in the western horizon casting beautiful shades or red, orange, and yellow upon the city making Gotham shine like gold.

This was one of those rare, peaceful moments that was happening right now in Gotham City.

No police siren could be heard for miles around. No screams of peril echoed from far away. No stray pages of The Gotham Times reporting of any crime was seen floating in the wind.

It was just my godfather and I walking in the park together, relishing a moment in our lives without having to deal with the darkness that over-powered the city we cared so much about.

"Sarah," Bruce spoke up as I slowly walked beside him. "You know Rachel and I have known each other for most of our lives, right?"

I nodded.

"Yeah," I answered. "I've seen pictures of you guys together with my mom when you were kids."

"Then you know that if Rachel and I fall in love with each other, it would jepordize our relationship not only with each other, but with you also."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah..." I said wearily. "So?"

Bruce sighed. Obviously, he thought I wasn't getting the point.

"Sarah," he tried again, in an exasperated tone. "Right now, it...It's just impossible for Rachel and I to be together."

"Well, yeah, sure," I agreed with him. "Right now it is. But what about in the future?"

Bruce was silent as he shook his head. I could tell he was trying to think of some way to get me to understand that he and Rachel would never be together. But I wasn't going to let it slide. There just had to be a way for my two favorite people in the world to be with one another.

"Come on Bruce," I almost pleaded. "I've seen the way you look at her. I mean...maybe this thing Rachel has for Harvey won't last long. I mean-"

"Sarah."

Bruce was suddenly in front of me, his hands on my shoulders, making me look at him. I stayed quiet when I saw the stern look on his face.

"I want you to listen to me," he counseled. "And I want you to understand what I'm saying here..." He then shook his head. "...Rachel and I are not getting together...And the only reason I have to say to you about that is because it would be dangerous."

When Bruce said this, not only was I saddened, but I was also very confused...and a little afraid.

"Wait," I said cautiously. "What do you mean it would be dangerous?"

"...You'll understand one day when you're older."

...I'll understand when I'm _**older**_? What the heck was**_ that _**supposed to mean? Did he think I was too young to comprehend the situation? It was almost like he had forgotten that for the first few weeks of his return to Gotham, I practically **lived** off of the word "dangerous". What made him think I wouldn't understand dangerous things, especially in this city?

"What do you mean I'll understand when I'm older?" I asked, a little edge in my voice. "How come I can't understand it _**now**_?"

"Sarah, you're not hearing what I'm saying," Bruce gripped my shoulders a bit tighter now, his voice beginning to show a little frustration. "If Rachel and I get together now, it will be dangerous, stressful, and too frustrating to bear for the both of us...Including you."

"But-"

"Sarah, please understand that...For me."

As soon as he said that, Bruce and I started to walk around the park again, only slowly this time and in uncomfortable silence.

It was in that moment that I knew Bruce would never tell me the real reason why he and Rachel would not get together. Although the sadness in his light green eyes told me that he loved her with all his heart and would give anything to be with her...There was also a darkness hidden somewhere in his voice that prevented him from telling Rachel how he truly felt about her; How he really felt about her being with Harvey.

But beneath the cautious words he spoke to me, I could sense the very familiar "I'm-Trying-To-Protect-You" tango dancing in the background.

Most of the time, it comforted me to know that Bruce was protective and loving towards me, like any other parent would be with their child. Nevertheless, even parents can over-step the boundaries of love and protection between them and their children. Of course, parents don't mean to do this. Sometimes over-protectiveness was a quality that parents developed when something dramatic, life-changing, or even horrible, happens to their son or daughter that requires these two traits. During times of trial in a child's life, love and protection can bring them closer to their parents. But when these trials are over, and the child is returned to a healthy and stable emotional and mental state, the habits of being too-loving and over-protective can break the bond between parent and child.

Bruce's problem, in this case, was being over-protective. I mean, I love him for it, but...He's been like this ever since I nearly drowned in the Gotham River last year. For example, whenever I would go to a charity ball with him, he would always tell me to keep close to him and that if I needed to go somewhere or talk to someone, always tell him. It was like his "Always-Let-Me-Know-When-You're-On-Your-Way-Home-From-School" rule, only more restricted, and sometimes it irritates me.

What was he going to do when I go to college? Fight every one of my battles for me until I graduate? Plant cameras all over the campus? I'm surprised he doesn't even plant cameras around the city itself!

...But what if I asked him if he could teach me how to defend myself? Sure, Bruce is Batman and all, but that only happens at night. What if something happened during the day and I had to protect myself?

"Bruce," I started softly, breaking the silence between us. "Do you think you can teach me some self-defense moves?"

If there was one question in this world, besides the one I had just asked about Rachel, that would make Bruce obviously look hesitant to answer, it was the one I just asked right now. His face seemed to pale, color instantly draining from his cheeks. For what seemed like an hour, he pondered my little proposal. The silence felt so long, that I almost asked if he heard me before he finally answered.

"I don't know," he said slowly, almost cautious even. "...I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Sarah."

"Why not?" I asked, trying to hide the surprise in my voice.

Bruce looked like he didn't want to answer. I think he just wanted to drop this discussion completely and move on as if what we were talking about right now never happened. However, I didn't want him to escape the issue. I didn't want him to act like I didn't ask him. So, I stood in front of him, almost forcing him to stop walking so that we could both focus better on my desire to learn how to protect myself.

"Look," I calmly told him my reasons. "I'm only asking because it'll be good for me to know these things. I mean, let's face it...You can't protect me all the time."

The words "You can't protect me all the time" seemed to trigger a light bulb in Bruce's head, making him realize the cold reality of what I just told him. His eyes showed that he was beginning to understand. He knew that I was growing up and growing up fast. But I think that at that moment, he was truly understanding the fact that I was growing up.

"Well," he let out a breath, putting his hands in his pocket, like he always does when he thinks out loud. "You don't have school tomorrow..."

That was true. We had a four-day weekend from school. I actually had planned to spend it at a sleepover at Ally's house with Ally, Kayla, and Celia. Ally gave the best sleepovers ever and we always had fun. Now, I was hoping I would also plan learning self-defense moves with Bruce. Patiently, as well as anxiously, I waited for my godfather's answer with bated breath.

"...But it looks like you're going to be getting up early anyway."

My eyes almost popped out of my sockets. I didn't think he would actually say yes. Did he actually say yes?

"You're going to teach me?" I asked, a smile daring to show on my face.

Bruce didn't answer, but instead, just smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" I practically shouted.

With happiness and utter disbelief that Bruce would agree to teach me self-defense moves, I jumped onto my godfather, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, hugging him as tightly as I could. He let out a small "oof" when I nearly knocked the wind out of him, but then I heard the small chuckle behind his infamous amused smile as he hugged me back.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I exclaimed with happiness. "You're the best!"

"You're welcome," Bruce laughed a bit letting me down.

* * *

After they had gotten home from their walk and talk in the Gotham City Park and had their dinner that was graciously prepared for them by Alfred, Sarah spent the rest of the night talking with her friends on the phone in her room about what they planned to do at the sleepover tomorrow night. Bruce didn't say a word after dinner. He just went up to his room to sit in one of his leather chairs, looking at a few case files Lieutenant Gordon had provided to him when he was Batman.

For the past year, Bruce had been working on one particular and very interesting case. It was one that Gordon had given to him soon after the Narrows Incident. In fact, it was given to him the same night the MCU started using the signal...

...My dear readers, I don't think I shall tell you yet just what exactly Bruce Wayne was trying to solve. It's too disturbing, not to mention difficult, to describe the situation right now. Our favorite billionaire playboy has not told his goddaughter, even though he has told her about every other case he had taken on over the year.

"Here you are, sir."

Bruce looked up from the case files to find Alfred carrying a tray with hot coffee. He smiled. He knew he was going to need caffeine tonight if he had to focus on these mysterious events that were going around the city lately.

"Thank you Alfred," Bruce said softly as Alfred set the coffee tray on the table beside him. "Is Sarah in bed?"

Just now, Bruce had looked at his watch and noticed it was past 9:30, Sarah's set curfew on the weekends when she didn't have plans with her friends.

"Yes," Alfred almost chuckled. "After several attempts of prying her away from the phone and telling Miss Farris to have a good night, Miss Sarah is finally in bed."

"Good," Bruce laughed a bit.

He knew Sarah was more of a night-time person rather than a morning person. It was sometimes a bit of a hassle to try and get her to go to bed on time, especially on school nights.

"She seemed very excited about something," Alfred commented as he poured coffee into a mug.

When Alfred said this, Bruce was reminded of the promise he had made to Sarah earlier that day, and his face fell. Truth be told, he didn't want to teach her any self-defense moves. He thought that if he taught her anything, she would...

No. No. Absolutely not. He wasn't going to allow himself to think that way.

"...I told her I was going to teach her a few self-defense moves tomorrow," he explained as he looked out the window overlooking the city.

"You seem reluctant, sir."

"...That's because I am."

* * *

I had another nightmare that night...

"Ahhh!"

I pushed myself off my pillow, gasping for air as if I had been holding it while I slept. My hair felt a little damp from the sweat that came from my forehead. I looked to the clock. It was almost midnight. Hopefully, Bruce didn't hear me scream. He was probably getting ready to go on patrol as Batman right now...

"Sarah?"

Drenched in cold sweat and barely controlling the way I was breathing, I looked to the doorway to find my godfather in a pair of grey sweatpants and just finishing putting on a black t-shirt he must have grabbed on the way out of his room to come check on me. I couldn't answer to the look of concern I saw on his face. I was busy having trouble trying to figure out how to breathe again. Bruce came rushing to my bedside, pulling me up to a sitting position as he sat in front of me, facing me with his hands placed on my shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said softly to me. "Breathe. Breathe slowly now. Try to get in control again."

Though it took me a few minutes to do so, I was able to control my breathing. Even in the darkness, I could see the concern in Bruce's light green eyes glowing at me. As soon as I calmed down, he started rubbing my back in a comforting way.

"That's it. Good girl," he practically coached me how to breathe as he got up. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Panic struck me again. I didn't want Bruce to go, even if it was only for a little while.

"No!" I protested, almost getting out of bed. "Don't go!"

"Sarah," Bruce gently said, looking at me from my doorway. "I'm coming back. I promise."

Bruce's promise didn't ease me much as soon as he left. The short amount of time he was gone felt like hours to me as I sat on my bed in my darkened room. I spent most of my waiting for Bruce with my arms wrapped around my knees, hugged to my chest, almost staring at nothing but the tangled blankets on my bed.

My godfather finally came back with a glass of milk in his hand.

"Drink this." he quietly said as he sat by me on the edge of the bed. "It'll help you relax."

As soon as I took the glass in my fingers, I realized that the milk was warming my fingers. It was warm milk. I hated the stuff, and Bruce and Alfred both knew that perfectly well. Maybe if I just took a sip it would be enough.

I took a small sip, clearly disgusted at the taste, and started to give the glass back.

"Ah." Bruce stopped me. "All of it."

Giving a scowling look at Bruce, I obeyed without another order. I practically forced myself to drink the rest of it in one gulp. Thank goodness it was only a small glass. After I finished it, I set it back on my bedside table, feeling a little bit more relaxed as Bruce moved closer, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Another nightmare?" he asked me.

It took a moment for me to nod in response and a few minutes to actually get something out of my mouth to explain.

"...There was so much screaming," I whispered. "...I-I-I couldn't see anything at all, but I-I could still hear the screaming-"

"Sarah, look at me," Bruce interrupted in a soft and stern tone, guiding my face towards his. "Focus on my eyes. Look nowhere else and listen to me carefully."

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Bruce and waited for him to continue speaking to me. He brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"It was just a nightmare," he said to me. "It's not going to hurt you. They're results of your sub-conscious reacting to stress you experience when you're awake."

I looked down a bit. Of course, Bruce was right. He was always right. He always knew what to say...

But something about the nightmares I've been having recently just wouldn't go away.

Bruce saw my doubt and gently made me to look at him again.

"I'll always be here to protect you," he whispered this promise. "Do you understand me?"

Almost smiling, because I always knew that Bruce would be there to protect me, I nodded, telling my godfather that I did understand. He nodded back, smiling a bit in reassurance.

"All right," he said, getting up to leave. "Now try and settle down and go back to sleep."

All of a sudden, I didn't want Bruce to leave. I got scared again. Before he moved away, I grabbed his hand in a shaky grip.

"Bruce, please!" I pleaded with a small fright in my voice. "Don't go!"

"I'm just down the hall," Bruce tried to calm me down again. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"Can't you at least stay with me until I fall asleep?"

There was a moment of deep silence for Bruce to ponder my suggestion. He nodded in response before sitting by me on my bed, his back resting against the headboard.

"Come here," he spoke softly.

I was gently pulled into Bruce's arms. As I rested my head against his chest, he wrapped a blanket around my shoulders.

"You warm enough?" he asked.

I nodded.

"All right. Try and see if you can sleep now, OK?"

Sighing to myself, and trying to relax, I closed my eyes, a small tear of fright escaping down my cheek. I felt Bruce's finger brush it away before his hand cradled my head to him and kissing the top of it.

"It's gonna be all right," he promised me.

I had to disagree to that...My heart told me that something horrible was going to happen soon...And I was really scared that Bruce wouldn't be there to stop it.

It was the last thought I had before I fell deep into a wonderful and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Bruce Wayne was worried about his goddaughter.

This was the second time in a row that she had a nightmare, and it was starting to make him concerned. Last night's bad dream just scared her a little. This time, he heard her scream. Sarah had experienced bad dreams before...But none that left her so afraid that she needed Bruce to stay with her.

Off all the things Bruce hated the most in this world, hearing Sarah scream was in his top five. Not only would it send chills down his spine and make him rush to her side wherever she was, it would bring back memories of every time she screamed in fear: Like the time when she had first encountered him as Batman...Or worse...When she had called him using Edgar's cell phone for help when she was kidnapped and Edgar had used the fear toxin he received from Jonathon Crane on her.

That scream he will never forget. It would haunt him forever.

As he pondered his concern over his goddaughter, Bruce inspected the bandaged cut on Sarah's arm...The nightmares just had to be a reaction to the stress she had with school and Haley Kingston...

...They just had to be...

"Master Bruce?"

It startled Bruce for a second when Alfred spoke up. He looked up from where he sat on Sarah's bed to find his butler standing in the doorway. Quietly, Bruce put a finger to his lips.

"Shh," he advised. "I just finally got her to go to sleep."

Bruce could feel Alfred's puzzled glance as he slowly started to move off of the bed, laying Sarah down completely on the mattress.

"She was fine when I checked on her a few hours ago, sir," Alfred explained.

"It was a nightmare, Alfred," Bruce cleared it up. "Her second one this week. She didn't want me to leave her side tonight. At least not until she fell asleep."

"Her second one? Should we be worried?"

The young billionaire didn't answer right away. He gently placed Sarah's head onto the pillow, pulling the covers up to her neck, and stroking the hair on her head as he watched her sleep. His goddaughter's slumber looked peaceful, but Bruce could tell that she was fighting some inner demons somewhere in her sub-conscious.

What kind of demons?...He wasn't sure...

And he was pretty sure that Sarah herself didn't know either.

"I'm sure it'll pass as soon as there isn't enough stress for her during the day," he finally said softly.

And just like always, Bruce Wayne bent over the bed to kiss his goddaughter good night on the forehead.

"Sleep well, Sarah Chante," he whispered.

Both billionaire and butler silently left Sarah Chante's bedroom, closing the door as quietly as they can. As soon as it was closed, Alfred spoke up when they started walking down the hallway.

"You know," he started. "Miss Sarah told me about a rather interesting dream she had about a few months ago."

"...Did she now?" Bruce hesitated to answer.

"Yes. Something about a man's guttural voice, as she described it, that would whisper in her ear 'Sleep Well, Sarah Chante' just before she would drift off..."

Once again, Bruce hesitated. After a brief moment of silence, he sighed, stopping in the hallway to look at Alfred straight in the eye.

"It's the same reason why I don't tell her about the cameras in the city, Alfred," he explained. "...I do that to protect her."

He started walking away, going back to his room, even though he wasn't exactly done talking.

"And it's also the reason why I want you to tell her that I have a last minute early morning meeting at Wayne Enterprises tomorrow."

"Sir?" Alfred asked, once again puzzled.

"...I'm not going to teach her any self-defense lessons, Alfred."

Alfred tried to speak again; tried to remind his master of the promise he made to teach her...But Bruce didn't want to hear it.

"If I do, she'll end up like me," Bruce explained, stopping at the doorway to his room, his back facing the butler. "...She'll end up as a vigilante, like me...And I swear on Luke and Jennifer's grave, that sort of life won't be in her future."

And just like that, Bruce Wayne's decision to not teach Sarah Chante any self-defense moves, was final.

* * *

_**(A/N: "Hey guys! Sorry I wasn't able to update for a while. Things got a bit busy since school started...Plus my computer kinda crashed a few months ago, so I had to rewrite this whole chapter again...Plus, I got a job and still helping out with the family...And plotting a few little companion pieces to this story...And that's about it!" *starts to run***_

_**Bruce Wayne: *grabs the author by the back of her shirt before she leaves the room in a rush* "Not so fast! You're staying right here until you tell them what's going on."**_

_**Me: "I can't."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "And why not?"**_

_**Me: "...Um...It's past my bedtime?"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "You're 20 years old. We both know you haven't had a set curfew since your freshman year of college. Go ahead. Give me another excuse. See if I'll believe it."**_

_**Me: "OK. I like a challenge...Um...Writer's Block! Yeah! That's it! Writer's Block!" *grins innocently***_

_**Bruce Wayne: *stern glare* "And...What else?"**_

_**Me: "Oh come on, Wayne! You know how girls are at this age. You meet someone very special and you get kinda distracted-"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Yeah. Almost seven months full of distraction. And it's still going on!"**_

_**Me: *glares* "He took me to the rooftop of a building that overlooked the city at night and gave me my first kiss in three years! I have a right to be distracted by someone who's good-looking as he is! *growls in frustration and turns to the reviewers* I hate muses based off billionaire playboys! They always nag in your ear about stuff!...And send a few bats to my room to scare the crap outta me."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: *grins* "I like doing that. It's funny to see a 20 year old go straight to her mommy and daddy's room after being scared by a little bat."**_

_**Me: *sighs* "Anyway, I am extremely sorry for not updating sooner because I've been going out with this guy, who is now my boyfriend of seven months. How we met is really cute. Kinda like how Howl and Sophie met from "Howl's Moving Castle"...Only he wasn't a wizard, and he didn't force the creepy guys that were bothering me to walk away by magic."  
**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "I'll make sure she updates faster. On another note, whoever nominated her as Fanfiction author of the month on facebook, thank you very much!"**_

_**Me: "Also, I've updated my profile with my picture and quotes from real life. Those are real quotes and that's my real picture. I'm not kidding. Pick your favorite one and put it in your review. And I'm also looking for a few artists...I kinda want someone to draw Sarah Chante with Bruce Wayne or Batman, or maybe even her friends since I don't have the skills to be a good sketch artist. Maybe even make another trailer for me. That would be good. If you're interested, please let me know."  
**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Review please.")**_


	9. The Man With The Bleeding Smile

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

I never thought I would willingly get up early on the weekend or a day off from school until today**.**

Despite the fact that I had a rough night's sleep the night before, I was actually up and dressed in some comfy work-out clothes five minutes before my alarm clock went off at 6:30 A.M.. With a smile on my face, I walked out of my room and into the hallway to go to Bruce's room to see if he was awake and ready to teach me the self-defense techniques I wanted to learn.

But when I got there, there wasn't even a sign that he had even slept in his bed for the usual two hours he always gets before he goes on his nightly patrols.

_He must already be in the exercise area next door_ I thought to myself. So I made my way over to the next room.

No sign of my godfather in there.

...OK...

The only other place I could think of as to the whereabouts of Bruce was downstairs in the kitchen getting a quick breakfast. As I headed down the spiral staircase to the first floor of the Penthouse, I was greeted with the mouth-watering scent of scrambled eggs and crisp bacon being cooked over the stove while the heavenly aroma of freshly toasted bread floated its way out of the kitchen to my nose. If there was any type of meal Alfred was good at making, it was breakfast, and he was the best at it! Unfortunately, my mind wasn't on breakfast.

It was preoccupied by the fact that Bruce wasn't in the kitchen either, and the smile that was on my face from the moment I woke up, had diminished into a small, confused frown.

Alfred hadn't noticed that I walked in yet, so I took a moment to announce myself.

"Morning, Alfred," I said, almost quietly.

The butler turned around to find me standing in the doorway and the proud smile that appeared on the old man's face made me smile back.

"Well," he said in a bright and cheery voice. "Look who's up and about on her own. I should call _The Gotham Times_."

I laughed a little bit as I sat myself down at the kitchen counter while Alfred prepared a plate of the delicious breakfast he was making for me.

"Would you like milk or orange juice?" he asked me.

"Um, orange juice is fine," I answered before asking the one question on my mind. "Alfred, do you know where Bruce is?"

"What was that, Miss Sarah?"

For a second, I thought that Alfred really didn't hear me, but...it sounded like he was pretending he didn't hear me.

"...I-I asked where Bruce was." I said again. "...Have you seen him?"

Alfred said nothing for a moment as he put a steaming hot plate of scrambled eggs and bacon over toast in front of me along with a glass of orange juice. I couldn't tell if he was actually trying to remember if he had seen Bruce or if he was hesitating to answer to think up another lie.

"Actually," he started. "I did see him this morning."

I perked up a little when he said this.

"But he left in such a hurry that he told me to give you this note."

The little bit of a smile I had faded when Alfred reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. Hesitating a bit, I took it from his hand, knowing that I wasn't going to like whatever it was Bruce had written to me.

_**Sarah-**_

_**Emergency meeting at Wayne Enterprises came up. We'll do the self-defense lesson some other time.**_

_**See you when I get back from Hong Kong.**_

_**Love you,**_  
_**Bruce.**_

...Some other time?...Yeah right.

Bruce was probably jumping up and down at the fact that some big important last minute meeting at the office came up. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little upset.

I sat there at the counter quietly, a bit sad that my godfather wasn't going to be able to teach me how to defend myself. He knew how important this was to me, especially since I felt that living in a city like Gotham would become very dangerous soon for everyone. And yet...

...Something didn't add up. Usually when I wanted to do something with Bruce, he'd make time for me. If I wanted him to come with me to Amusement Mile, he'd take the day off. He'd drop everything to spend the day with me. He always had. What made today different?

"Miss Sarah?"

Alfred's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him to find a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah?" I asked, sucking in a breath.

"Is everything all right?" Alfred asked me.

"Yeah. Why?"

"You've hardly touched your breakfast."

I looked down at my plate and took a bite of my breakfast. He was right. My eggs were cold. My bacon felt like dried up beef jerky. The toast was hard and my orange juice was warm. How long was I sitting there? I swallowed up my bite of cold scrambled egg and got up from my seat.

"I guess I'm not hungry," I replied softly as I started making my way to the staircase. "Sorry Alfred."

"Where are you going?" Alfred asked.

"Um...I think I'm gonna call Ally. See if she wants to go shopping or hang out or something."

I didn't say anything more as I walked upstairs back to my room. I don't think I wanted to. What I did want was to call Wayne Enterprises and talk to Bruce about today. Maybe he could call someone from a karate class and have me squeezed in today to learn a few moves. Sitting on my bed and grabbing my cellphone, I called Lucius Fox's front desk. If anyone knew where Bruce would be in the building, it would be Fox.

"Thank you for calling Wayne Enterprises," a secretary answered the other line. "This is Jessica."

I smiled a little bit. Jessica was Fox's secretary, who worked at Wayne Enterprise's since before Bruce came back from his 7-year absence. She was a nice lady who always treated me like a little sister whenever I would come and visit Bruce and Fox at work.

"Hey Jessica," I said. "It's Sarah."

"Hey Sarah! What can I help you with?"

"Is Lucius busy?"

"I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting right now. What do you need?"

"Um, is my godfather in that meeting?"

"Mr. Wayne hasn't been here for two days. I don't think so. Why?"

"...There-there wasn't an emergency meeting this morning?"

"No. There wasn't."

...Bruce lied to me?

...And he got Alfred to lie to me too?

I sat there on my bed shocked. I can't say that I didn't think of the possibility, but I can't say I wasn't surprised...He promised me that he wouldn't lie to me again.

He lied to me.

"Sarah?" Jessica asked on the other line. "You there?"

"Um..." I found my voice. "...Yeah. I'm here."

"Do you want me to tell Fox you called?"

"No. That's OK. Um...Thanks Jessica. Bye."

I hung up the phone and sat there...just stunned at the fact that my godfather lied to me. Why would he lie? What was the reason? Was he being over-protective again?

Just...Why would he lie?

I stared at my cell phone and took a look at my contacts list...I could call him right now and demand to know why he lied...But I didn't.

You see, the thing is I never fought with Bruce before. We have never argued. We never raised our voices at each other. And I didn't want that to happen. Especially if he was leaving town for a few days. I didn't want tension between us before he left.

Thirty minutes of fighting over what to do next, I had called Ally, asked if she wanted to hang out and shop, got dressed, packed my bags for tonight's sleepover and the weekend with Rachel, and left the Penthouse after saying goodbye to Alfred.

...All the while, trying to keep myself from crying.

* * *

I had spent my day shopping at the mall with my friends instead of hitting punching bags and learning to defend myself. Ally was surprised when she got my call at 6:30 in the morning, suggesting we spend another weekend buying the latest fashion trends money could buy. When she asked me whatever happened to the planned quality time with my godfather, all I muttered to her was "Business Meeting" - - the same lie given to me by both Alfred and Bruce. Fortunately, Ally never asked anymore on the matter, though the disappointment I felt since breakfast was evident to her.

By the time the evening took over her nocturnal rule over Gotham City, I was sitting in Ally's bedroom surrounded by friends and warm company. I loved sleepovers at Ally and Kayla's house. They were always so much fun. There was even a time or two when we would sleep over at Celia's house.

We never had the sleepovers over at the Penthouse. Bruce was always worried that one of my friends would accidentally discover a little clue that would lead them to find out he was the Batman. He said he would feel better about it as soon as Wayne Manor was rebuilt but until then, parties for me were limited at the Penthouse.

That night was Celia's night to plan the sleepover. We came up with this idea a long time ago that we would take turns hosting the sleepover. Whenever it was Ally's turn, we would spend it doing makeovers and braiding each others hair. Kayla's nights of hosting the sleepover would have us watching really gory movies that would scare the crap out of me and having her prank call every person who was mean to us or anybody else at school, which was mostly Haley Kingston's house...And even if it wasn't Kayla's turn to host, she's always prank calling somebody. My night would have us outside playing flashlight tag and board games.

Celia's plan to host was to have us watch old 1930's horror movies like "The Bride of Frankenstein" or "The Mummy" and tell ghost stories up on Ally's roof with candles. Tonight we were watching the classic 1931 "Dracula". I read the book by Bram Stoker around Halloween last year, and was curious to see the movie.

We had just finished watching the movie around 11:30 or so. Ally and I had been sitting on her bed eating popcorn and drinking soda, while Celia was at the foot of the bed on her back, her upper body hanging upside facing Ally's flat screen TV. Kayla was over by the desk where she could use her cell phone for her prank calls while it was charging and still be able to watch the movie.

"Wow, Ci-Ci," Ally spoke first as she stretched her body from sitting still for the past hour and a half. "That was actually good. I'm glad you picked the movie tonight."

"See?" Celia grinned with pride, sitting up and straightening her black rectangular glasses on her face. "I told you guys the classic monster movies never fail."

Kayla looked up from texting on her cell phone at this point in our conversation.

"Dracula's a vampire, right?" she asked us.

I raised an eyebrow while I was clearing up the popcorn and soda mess.

"Yeah," I answered in a "duh" tone. "I don't think he was biting those people's necks for fun, Kayla. What's your point?"

"How come he didn't sparkle?" Kayla asked again.

Celia twisted her body around to face Kayla, a look on her face that was both a glare and something that said "Are you _**seriously**_ asking that question?". Ally and I looked at each other and sighed. We hoped this wasn't going to turn into one of those nights. Kayla and Celia may have been partners-in-crime and best friends and all, but even friends have their disagreements and opinions.

"Kayla..." Celia said slowly. "We've been over this everyday for the past four months. I will say it one more time and hope that you will understand: _**Vampires. Don't. Sparkle.**_ Case closed."

"Well, they should!" Kayla stuck her tongue out at Celia.

"Whatever," Celia rolled her eyes before turning to Ally and I. "So, what do you guys want to do now?"

"I don't know," Ally shrugged with a smile. "It's your night, Ci."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Don't you have anything other than classic movies planned?"

"Not really," Celia confessed before thinking to herself. "...How 'bout we go for a walk in those woods in Ally's backyard?"

"A walk?" Kayla asked in protest. "Aw man. We might as well call it a night now."

I was about to tell Kayla to stop complaining when an idea popped into my head. Quickly acting, I reached over to Ally's bedside table and grabbed a flashlight, turning it on beneath my face to create an eerie look.

"Not if we tell ghost stories on the way," I grinned mischievously. "Come on. Let's get the dogs and go out."

"That's a good idea!" Celia exclaimed. "I've got a good one I can tell."

Kayla just raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"This sleepover just got a little bit more lame," she commented. "Ghost stories, Sarah? Are you kidding me?"

"Do I ever kid?" I asked, putting my shoes on.

"Come on Kayla," Ally tossed her cousin her coat. "What's wrong with ghost stories?"

"What's wrong is that we're a little too old for ghost stories," Kayla stated her frustrated-based opinion. "We're not 6 anymore. And what good is a ghost story if the people in it are not real and it's not even set in where you live?..." Kayla then grinned. "Unless it's a ghost story with Haley Kingston in it being terrorized. Then it's a good story."

"Kayla," Celia said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "You think any story with Haley Kingston being terrorized is good. Besides...I think I've got a story that will scare the crap outta you."

* * *

Ten minutes later, we were all outside together in Ally's backyard woods with Ally's three golden retrievers on their leashes: Chewey, Genghas, and Colonel. I had control over Genghas, the dog who tried to protect me from being kidnapped last year by my Uncle Edgar's associate. Ever since then, Genghas seemed to be the dog that was always by my side. He's always very protective of me when I was over at Ally's house. I guess he didn't want anything to happen to me again.

Kayla had Chewey and Ally had Colonel with them while Celia led us on the pathway in the woods with a flashlight in hand.

It was a very chilly night that night. And eerie as well. It was the perfect setting to tell a ghost story.

"So what's the story about, Ci-Ci?" Ally asked Celia, trying to keep up with Colonel's fast paced walk.

"Frankly, I don't know really," Celia replied. "All I know is what people at school have told me. Even the teachers have heard about this guy, and they're a little creeped out too."

"Really?" I asked, a little intrigued by this story already. "I'm liking this story so far."

"OK, then let's get started," Ally came to a clearing. "You guys wanna sit here?"

"Nah," Kayla answered. "I don't get good reception out here."

Without even glancing at Kayla, I grabbed the cell phone that was in her hand and put it in my coat pocket.

"Hey!" she shouted in protest.

"Quit trying to prank call Haley Kingston, Kayla," I warned. "After the last 20 times, she's probably figured out how to block your number by now."

"Give it back!"

Kayla reached for my cell phone, but Genghas, ever the protective one, growled at her before she could do anything.

"Whoa!" she jumped back, withdrawing her hand. "What's up with Genghy over here? He's never done that before."

"That's 'cause you never tried to grab something from Sarah before," Ally held the beam of her flashlight in Kayla's face, who winced at the brightness. "If you promise to not do anymore prank calls, she'll give it back."

Kayla looked at her cousin with a quizzical look, then to me, then back at her.

"I can't make that promise," she said bluntly. "Keep it."

"Good," Ally said before turning to Celia. "Celia, are you prepared to tell us a ghost story that will scare us beyond our wildest imaginations?"

For a moment, Celia was quiet. She stared at all of us as if we just asked her a question that she didn't know the answer to.

I don't think Ally and Kayla knew how to register the expression on Celia's face at the time. I had just sat down on the dirt floor with Genghas when I saw what the look was my dear friend had.

I'll never forget it. It looked a bit doubtful, hesitant...and also fearful.

"...On second thought," she started, looking down at her feet. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you guys this story..."

"Why not?" Ally asked, surprised. "Is it gonna be too scary for Kayla or something?"

"_I'm standing right here, Ally..._" Kayla muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"No," Celia answered. "...But I don't think going on rumors of what I've heard count as a ghost story."

"Rumors?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows.

"You mean," Ally put her two cents in. "There's a possibility that this guy may actually exist?"

"Well, now you gotta tell us!" Kayla exclaimed, suddenly interested.

Celia sighed. It didn't look like she wanted to tell the story anymore. Fearing that we were peer-pressuring her, I took the reins in talking for a moment...

...Plus, if there were rumors going around about something scary in Gotham, there was a 50/50 chance that those rumors could be true. If there was anything going on, I had to tell Bruce what I heard. I was gonna try and get as much information as possible while trying not to appear like I was pushing Celia to say something she didn't feel comfortable saying.

"Hang on guys," I told Ally and Kayla. "Let's not push just yet." I then turned to Celia. "Ci, what do you mean rumors? Has something happened lately?"

After a few seconds of silence from her, Celia shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "A part of me doesn't think so..."

"...And the other part of you?" I asked when she hesitated.

"...OK, look. You guys know how weird Gotham can get sometimes right?"

"Sometimes?" Kayla's tone begged to differ.

"Shut-up, Kayla," Ally whispered.

"Yeah," I answered Celia. "We know how weird it can get. What's your point?"

"Well..." Celia let out a breath. "You know how people seem to get famous around here by wearing masks for some reason? Like Batman? Or, you know, that weirdo with the burlap sack on his head and the drugs?" I nodded. "Well, this guy I've been hearing about sort of falls into that category, except he wears make-up and stuff."

"There's a guy running around Gotham wearing make-up?" Kayla asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"What for?"

"Probably to scare people."

"A guy wearing make-up to scare people isn't scary. It's just stupid."

"It's not stupid if he's murdering people, Kayla!"

"What?" Ally and I both said in unison.

You know how sometimes you watch horror movies and there's always that scene where the characters find out something shocking and some weird weather thing happens right after to give it a much more evil feeling?

Well, it happened right after Celia told us about this guy murdering people.

The wind seemed to pick up a little, and I could've sworn I heard thunder rolling somewhere in the distance.

Genghas started growling at something behind me too, but he quickly hushed when I patted him on the head and got up off the ground to move closer to Celia. I tried to remember any murders that have happened recently, other than the clown robbers at Gotham National Bank, but nothing seemed to come up.

"Ci-Ci," I looked at her with concern on my face. "...How much do you know about this?"

"...I've just heard rumors about this guy," Celia started. "They started about a year ago, right after Sarah was rescued from the drowning incident in the Gotham River and right around when everyone in the city saw the Batman's light signal in the sky."

"These rumors have been going on for that long?"

"Yeah...That long..."

"...What's this guy's name?"

To this, Celia shrugged.

"No one knows for sure," she explained. "But, based on what he's done and how people describe him...I call him the Man with the Bleeding Smile."

Once again, Genghas started growling at whatever it was that was behind me, a little bit louder this time. I looked behind me this time to see what it was that was making him growl, but all I could see was just the bushes behind me.

"Calm down, boy," I whispered, scratching Genghas behind the ears. "It's OK."

I looked back at Celia with another puzzled look. She had called this strange person The Man with the Bleeding Smile. Why? What has he done that inspired Celia to give him that name?

"The Man with the Bleeding Smile?" Kayla asked in a skeptical tone. "Really? That's the name you give him, Ci?"

"Ignore her, Celia," Ally advised. "Tell us more about this guy."

"I've heard he's got green hair," Celia continued. "Or it looks like it's green or something. And he's got a real pale face, black eyes-"

"Ci-Ci, Ci-Ci, hang on a moment. Stop right there," I interrupted. "...Can you tell me why you call him The Man with the Bleeding Smile?"

Celia's face seemed to pale a little bit more, and that made me worried.

Here's something about Celia you probably already know, but I just want to throw it out there just so all of you truly understand why I'm worried. Celia loved all things dark and mysterious, and the occasional gory and disgusting movie. She would never flinch at the sight of blood or the thought of exploding guts or something like that.

...But if she paled like she did when I asked her about this man, it must've been pretty bad.

She gulped once or twice, took a deep breath and looked at me.

"He...He just-" she started.

All of a sudden, Genghas went from growling to ferociously barking to the end of his leash at whatever it was that was in the bushes behind us. Before my arm could be wrenched off while I was holding the leash, I tightened my grip and held onto Genghas before he could get loose as the other dogs, Chewey and Colonel, started growling.

"Crazy dog!" Kayla shouted. "What's gotten into him?"

"I don't know!" Ally shouted back. "Genghas! Knock it off! Settle down!"

While my friends and I were trying to settle Genghas down, I thought I saw something in the bushes. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Whatever it was, that's what the dog was barking out...Funny though...I caught a silhouette of it. It almost looked like...

"Whoa!"

I suddenly fell forward when the other end of Genghas's leash broke off, and he took off running after whatever was in the bushes. I didn't see, but I could hear shuffling and twigs snapping. By the time I looked up, Genghas and his prey had run far enough to where we could only hear barking.

"You OK?" Ally quickly asked as she and Kayla helped me up.

"I'm fine," I dusted clumps of dirt off my pajamas.

"Come on!" Ally took off running after Genghas with Colonel by her side. "My parents will kill us if they knew we were outside at night and we lost one of the dogs! Genghas! Come back here!"

All of us started to run after Genghas through Ally's darkened wooded area, calling after him in hopes that he would stop chasing what we thought was a mere shadow...Nothing more, nothing less. Occasionally, one of us would trip over a tree branch that would show it's roots from the ground, but we'd all hurry to get up and make sure everyone was okay before we took off running again.

While we ran, the thoughts in my head ran faster than my own feet. The silhouette I saw in the bushes looked exactly like the one I saw on the terrace outside my room back at the Penthouse...

...I swear, if Bruce ever came here dressed up as Batman and was spying on me to feed his protective side before he left for Hong-Kong, I would strangle him...

We finally caught up with Genghas, who was barking at something up a large oak tree. Ally took the leash from me and tied the broken end of it to Genghas's collar while he was still barking.

"Ally," Kayla started to heckle through exhausted breaths. "Your dog _*gasp*_ is _*gasp_* a freaking _*gasp*_ psycho."

"I wonder what he was barking at..." I wondered out loud.

"It was probably his own shadow," Ally finished fixing the leash. "Bad dog!" My friend turned toward us. "Guys, why don't we call it a night before we get caught?"

As Ally spoke, I took a good look at the tree Genghas was barking at...Whatever it was, it was still up there...

"One minute," I said softly, my gaze never leaving the tree. "...Kayla, give me a boost. I wanna see what's up there."

"Huh?" Kayla asked as if she didn't hear me. "What? Why?"

"...There's something up there."

I moved closer to the tall oak tree, my gaze never leaving the branches above me. My friends stared at me like I was crazy or something.

"Sarah," Ally tried to get me to see reason. "Genghas was probably chasing a cat or a rabbit."

"No," I shook my head, disagreeing. "I'm pretty sure it was bigger than that. Kayla, if you give me a boost, I'll give you your cell phone back."

"Deal," Kayla moved towards me.

Ally didn't say anything, although I could totally tell she was standing behind me with a gaping mouth to go with her shocked expression. Kayla bent down next to me and linked her fingers together to make a step for me so I could reach the first branch. I put my hand on her shoulder and a foot in her hands.

"OK," Kayla breathed out. "Ready? One, Two, Three!"

I pushed myself up thanks to Kayla's support and was able to grab the first branch of the oak tree. Below me, I heard Kayla grunt a little bit.

"Hey Sarah," she said to me from the ground. "I think that last pizza slice you ate made you a little heavy. I mean, you don't wanna ruin that petite figure of yours girl,"

"Shut up Kayla," I lazily replied as I reached for another tree branch.

"I'm telling you Sarah!" Ally shouted. "There's nothing up there! Now let's go back inside! I don't wanna get in trouble for being outside this late!"

"In a minute!" I called out, climbing higher into the tree.

Let me tell you guys something. The mind is a very powerful part of your body. It can make you see, feel, taste, and hear things that aren't even real. Things that aren't even there. And then you're left wondering whether or not it was all in your head.

At the time, I was 99 percent sure that Batman himself was hiding somewhere up in that tree. I couldn't deny the things that I have seen; the things that I have felt.

Genghas growling at something in the bushes.

The silhouette of the Bat's mask presented to me in the darkness.

And the fact that Batman and his encounter with dogs in recent history weren't exactly very good ones gave me the big green light that he was here.

But as I took one branch higher into the tree, I thought I saw a bit of the cape, flowing in the slightly blowing wind. Grinning to myself, I slowly reached out to grab it and to give it a small tug...It had been a year since I was this close to a friend I had made in my time of need. But before I could even brush my fingers against it, I heard someone scream from down below me...and then laughter.

"What is it?" I called, looking down below me. "What's going on?"

"Sarah!" Ally shouted with laughter. "You gotta come down here and see what scared the crap outta Kayla."

Before I climbed down, I looked back to where the piece of cape would've been, but it was gone. I was...not surprised to say the least. I mean, Bruce does have a habit of disappearing without making a sound.

Then I was left wondering whether or not I had really seen Batman. Was it all in my head? Or did I really see him?

With a puzzled look written on my face, I climbed down the tree carefully and joined my friends. When I reached them, Ally and Celia were laughing, desperately trying to keep all three dogs on their leashes. Kayla didn't look to happy. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face. I raised an eyebrow.

"OK..." I was confused to the whole situation. "What happened?"

Celia and Ally couldn't answer. They were too busy laughing and holding onto each other. Ally managed to point a finger down at the ground near Kayla's feet, who had a scowl on her face and her arms folded against her chest in a prideful fashion. There was the cutest little black kitten walking around Kayla's legs, purring as it went.

A smile creeped on my lips, and I looked at Kayla.

"Really?" I asked, giggling. "You were scared of a kitten?"

"It just came out of nowhere!" Kayla protested as we all laughed some more. "Shut up! What was up there anyway? Did you find anything?"

"...No," I said softly as I turned to look at the tree. "...It was just my imagination."

"Aw," Celia bent down towards the kitten. "Come here, sweetheart,"

The kitten tentatively walked towards Celia's warm and loving arms before jumping in there and purring against her chest, apparently satisfied that it was immediately loved unconditionally.

"Isn't he adorable?" Celia asked rhetorically.

"I think he's just a fur ball," Kayla said in a grumpy voice.

"You're just mad because you were scared of a cute little kitty," Ally said in a cute voice as she scratched the cat behind it's ears.

"I'm keeping it," Celia snuggled her cheek up against the kitten. "He is so cute!"

Ally and Celia went ahead back to the house with the kitten right between them, the two of them gushing over how cute it was. Kayla followed with a scowl on her face, adding in her own opinions such as "It's just a stray!" or "Your parents are never gonna let that thing near your little hellions of a brother and sister!" or even "**_How do you even know it's a boy?_**".

For a few more seconds, I stayed behind and stared at the tree where I thought I saw the Caped Crusader take refuge to when Genghas started running.

On the way back to Ally's house, I was still debating whether or not I had seen what I had seen.

What would happen later that night would help me be closer to the truth.

* * *

Sleeping over at a friends house is obviously different than sleeping in your own bed. A lot of things can happen and if something scares you in the middle of the night, you're on your own.

In my case, if I had another nightmare, I couldn't go to Bruce for help or for comfort.

And that's exactly what happened, except...I don't think I was really alone that night.

It happened around two or three in the morning. All of us were in Ally's bedroom asleep in different spots. Ally was curled up on the colorful hammock she had swinging in between her closet and bookshelf, Celia was sleeping at the foot of Ally's bed, with the new kitten she had found sound asleep against her chest. Kayla was lightly snoring underneath Ally's bed, the only evidence of her being actually underneath her cousins bed were her two feet sticking out.

I had been sleeping uneasily against the glass doors that led to the terrace that very dark night. Actually, it was so dark, I couldn't even see my hand if it was right there in front of my face.

And I did have another nightmare for the third time in a row. The same one where all I heard was screaming and crying. Only this time, the crying came from me.

I made sure I kept it to myself when I awoke in tears. I didn't want to wake up my friends.

But here's what happened.

I remembered trying to go back to sleep, even though I was still crying from an unnamed fear, and I felt a hand smooth back the hair on my head, and a gloved thumb wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

I knew it was him. I knew it was Batman, but I still couldn't see him and I was too tired to actually try and talk to him and ask him why he was here.

"It was just a dream," I heard the soft, deep and growling tone of his voice. "Go back to sleep."

I shook my head. I didn't want to. I was afraid that this was still a dream of some sort, and that if I did go back to sleep, it would be an uneasy one.

"It's all right," he said again. "...Go back to sleep."

As soon as I felt the familiar kiss on my forehead, I almost felt the wind from outside blow on me as the door to Ally's terrace opened...But it was gone as soon as it came and I was once again asleep.

I know Bruce came as Batman that night, but the question remained: If Bruce said I couldn't come near him when he is Batman...

...Then why is he starting now?

* * *

_**(A/N: "Hey guys...I know it's been a while since I updated, but a lot of life-changing experiences happened in the past few months. Here's what happened.**_

_**I got engaged."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Before you start jumping up and down saying "Congratulations", we want you guys to know that a lot of crap happened after the author said "Yes". I swear, she dated a real idiot that had a flagpole up his butt."**_

_**Me: "He started asking me how much money I made every time I got my paycheck, set me on this really unrealistic budget, pointed out every one of my flaws and my family's flaws, and because I wanted to see the good in people, I overlooked it...Until on the day I had bought my wedding dress, my friends were on a dating website looking at random guys in the area I was living in, and he had a profile on it. They told me, showed me, and I got the courage to tell him that he was treating me like crap, and that if he didn't show me or my family more respect, then it was over. He said I was over-reacting, and then I showed him what I found. I broke off the engagement and was left with a white dress that took me a long while to stop being angry at. I'm sorry I haven't been able to update again. I hope to have this done soon, before "The Dark Knight Rises" comes out.**_

_**Speaking of which, I spent the summer following the production of the movie...There is a lot of interesting developments, including that the time setting of the third Batman movie will be set 8 years after the events of "The Dark Knight", which means that Sarah Chante will be about 21 years old during this, which excites and scares me at the same time.**_

_**I also hope to have a little Christmas Special story to go with the Friend stories on December 17...My 21st birthday.**_

_**I hope you all forgive me for my absence while I mended a broken heart."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Does this mean I can start nagging you again?"**_

_**Me: "...No."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "I'm doing it anyway."**_

_**Me: "Yeah, I figured you would."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Review please!")**_


	10. Myths, Legends, and Horrible Truths

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

I hardly slept that night, but the nightmare that had put a vicious plague on me for the past few days did not occupy my mind right now.

Another one had.

It happened early in the morning. After only getting a few hours of sleep, I had woken up to a strange feeling that I had. It was more...uncomfortable than painful. Slowly, I sat up from my sleeping bag, and rubbed my aching back as I looked out the window. There was a beautiful sunrise shining just a bit over the great oak trees in Ally's backyard; colorful orange, blazing red and bright yellow hues cascaded over the tops to creep through the panes of glass that showed the room we all slept in.

Putting a hand over my eyes to block the blinding sunlight, I saw the lock on Ally's door that led to her terrace was turned a different way than it usually was. She had always left it unlocked. This time it was locked.

Batman must've done that on his way out last night, making sure all of us were going to be kept as safe as possible.

I just kind of glared at it before I got up to go to the bathroom.

That was where the new nightmare happened.

...I really didn't know what to do. Really, this wasn't supposed to happen now...At least, I didn't think it wasn't supposed to happen now. But I will say this, I was scared enough to lock myself in the bathroom, and try to figure out how to deal with this.

OK, the main thing to do was to keep calm and not freak out. It was a good thing Bruce wasn't there. He probably would've taken me to the hospital or something else to feed his over-protective side.

So I sat there on the toilet seat, thinking to myself to try to keep from going insane over something that was kind of...sort of...All right, it was a big deal. I guess the thing that really scared me was that I was alone when this happened.

"Come on Sarah!"

A knock on the bathroom door sounded, along with Kayla's irriated morning mood.

...I take it back. What really scares me more is having people in the situation.

"Get outta the bathroom!" she pounded on the door again.

What could I do? This wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to share with my friends. Opening my mouth to say something, really anything that would make Kayla go away for a while, I stammered, trying to find the right words to get me out of this mess.

"There-there's one down the hallway," I said to her through the door. "Use that one."

"No way!" Kayla's stubborness lashed back, banging her fist on the door. "Nathan's always in that one! Get out!"

Oh no. There is absolutely no way I am coming out of this bathroom.

"No!" I voiced that thought loud and clear. "I'm not coming out!"

"Why the-**_Aagh_**!" Kayla was interruptted. "Celia, I hate that stupid cat of yours!"

"Leave Shadow alone," I could hear Celia's sleepy voice.

The cat must've scared Kayla again. She always was kind of jumpy in the mornings. There was a bit of silence, until I heard a new voice from the other side of the bathroom door. It was Ally.

"Sarah, you OK?" she asked in a concerned tone. "Do you want me to go get my mom? Maybe she can call your godfather."

...What? Was she out of her freaking mind or something? Why did she think that calling Bruce was a good idea?

"No!" I shouted in angered protest. "Heck no! Ally, if you call Bruce, not only will_ I_ freak out, **_he_** will freak out!"

"...Oh..."

That was all Ally said before another silence hung in the air. It had been a little while before I allowed myself to think that they had finally left me alone to sort this whole thing out myself. I didn't mean to yell at my friends. I was scared...

...Come to think of it, even if I was scared, I probably wouldn't yell at them...

A bit confused and puzzled, I started to wonder what was happening to me. Was this normal? Did other people go through this kind of thing?

A softer knock on the bathroom door came through, and I was about to yell at my friends to go away, until I heard Ally's mom.

Carol Farris was a lovely lady and one of Gotham's most famous philantropists. She was always kind and generous, and treated me like another daughter when I first met her. I loved her dearly for her motherly ways.

"Sarah, sweetheart." She always called me sweetheart. "Ally told me to come here...Did you just get your first period?"

* * *

Later that day, when Rachel came to pick me up, Mrs. Farris spent the better part of the hour talking with her in one of the parlors, explaining what had happened that morning. My friends were kind of quiet around me after they learned the reason why I wouldn't come out of Ally's bathroom. At first, they didn't know what to say. Celia let me hold Shadow as a source of comfort, but after offering him to me, she didn't say a word. Ally just had her arm around me.

Kayla, on the other hand, said something.

"How big do you think your boobs are going to get?" she had asked.

...It took both Ally and Celia to hold me back and to keep me from strangling Kayla.

Before long, I was in Rachel's apartment, sitting in the kitchen with her and drinking a much needed cup of hot chocolate. We had stopped at the store on the way to get the supplies that I needed, and when we got home, she showed me how to use them and what to do and how I should always be prepared every month. I was glad that she was there to teach me all these things. Relief washed over me, but I was still quiet.

I just sat there, holding my cup of hot chocolate in between my hands, lightly tapping the porcelain with my fingers, and looking down at the marshmallows that Rachel always put in for me. After getting her cup of coffee, she came and sat by me.

"You know," she said with a smile. "It's a good thing your godfather is out of town." She then started to laugh a little bit. "He probably would've taken you to the hospital."

All I did was smile and I tried to laugh, but I just couldn't find anything in me to even get a snicker out. I was a bit depressed. Rachel noticed this and put her hand on mine.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"I'm scared," I replied after a bit of hesitation.

"Of your period? Sarah, honey, I told you, this is a natural-"

I shook my head.

"It's not that, Rachel," I explained softly.

At least, it wasn't that anymore. There was something else that worried me.

"What is it?" she asked.

"...I feel like the next few years are gonna change who I am," I stated in a quiet voice. "And that will change everything else."

Here's the backstory as to why I am being paranoid, and I'd like to point out that I was paranoid for a good reason.

Today marked my first day as a woman. Not a little girl. A young woman.

And just when all the changes have been done in my life for the past year, this one starts up, and I just know it's going to affect everyone and everything around me.

In a way, I almost didn't want to grow up. I liked being where I was before today. Even though it sometimes got on my nerves, I liked that Bruce was always there whenever I got into some sort of trouble, no matter how small the situation was.

I just...didn't want things to change between Bruce and I when we already had a good relationship.

But everyone knows that when you don't want things to happen, they sometimes happen anyway. For better or for worse, only you can decide that.

And I was going to have to make that same decision, whether I liked it or not.

* * *

"Nonononono," Kayla said to herself in a panicked voice. "This is _not_. _Happening_. To **_me_**!"

"She's got you, Kayla," Ally couldn't help but giggle from behind the book I lent her.

At this remark, Kayla quickly turned her head toward her cousin, pure vexation in her eyes

"Shut up Ally!" she shouted before turning back to the screen. "I can still beat her!"

Somehow, I seriously doubted that.

Later that night, I was surrounded by my friends on the couch in Rachel's living room playing a boxing video game on the television. Before she left on her date with Harvey Dent, Rachel said it was OK that I could invite them over as long as I remembered the following things:

Emergency phone numbers were on the fride.

There was about 40 dollars for me on the counter to order pizza.

All homework, if any, had to be done before I invited Ally, Kayla, and Celia over.

Since it was the weekend, all my friends had to go home by midnight, which meant I had to be in bed right after they leave.

No opening the door for any strangers

And, my personal favorite rule, remember that the pepper spray and taser gun were in the junk drawer in the kitchen.

All of these rules were explained to me while she was getting her make up on earlier that night. Harvey Dent was planning on taking her to go see The Moscow Ballet's production of _Swan Lake_ down at the Gotham Theatre Arts Center. Of course, like the gentleman he appeared to have in front of Rachel, as well as everyone else in the whole city, he showed up right on time to pick her up. While Rachel left the room to go get her purse for just a second, the perplexity that I had felt once before when I was with Dent in the restaraunt the last Sunday filled the living room once more.

But this time, I had an excuse to leave. After quietly saying hello to the district attorney, I removed myself from his presence, explaining that I had a big American History test coming up next Friday that I had to study for.

I think he offered his help on my schoolwork, but I pretended like I didn't hear him.

Now here I was, sitting on the couch next to Kayla, battling with her in a video game that she claimed she was the best at, and yet I was beating her.

The prize: The last slice of pepperoni pizza.

Ally and Celia were sitting near us. Celia was watching intently, surveying the video game, while Ally was reading my copy of _The Hunger Games_ that I let her borrow over the weekend. So far, it had been a pretty fun night.

Especially since I just beat Kayla at her video game.

"Aw crap!" Kayla thew down her controller in frustration.

"Game over!" Celia, trying hard not to laugh at Kayla's indignation, spreaded out her arms like a referree "Sarah wins."

Scowling in my direction, all I did was grin at Kayla in triumph as I took the last slice of pepperoni pizza. I waved it a little in front of her face, taunting her playfully.

"I will enjoy this victory pizza slice," I said in a mock evil tone before taking a huge bite

"You're the devil in disguise, Chante," Kayla spat reprehensibly

"Thank you," I replied with a mouthful of pizza.

Kayla had no reply to my joyous response, so she stuck her tongue out at me: A classic Kayla move. In return, I made another wisecrack while I was in a good mood. It was a comeback that Bruce always had for me whenever I stuck my tongue out at something.

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "If I had a thing that nasty in my mouth, I'd stick it out too."

This made both Ally and Celia start laughing so loud, they were falling of the couch, bringing a whole new meaning to the famous text acronym ROFL. I laughed too when I saw Kayla's expression: Her mouth was open in pure shock like a catfish that had just been caught.

All of a sudden, I was getting a video chat message from my cell phone. I perked up when it played Taio Cruz's _Break Your Heart_ as the ringtone. That can only mean one thing.

"That's Josh!" I shouted in excitement, reaching for my phone.

While my friends gathered around me as I answered, I saw Ally roll her eyes at the mention of Josh's name. Everytime Josh called and she was around, he tried to flirt with her and get her number so they can call each other. At first, I thought Josh made up the whole "Crush-On-Ally" thing just to get on her case...but he's been kind of more persistant these days in his efforts to win Ally's heart.

One of these days, it's either going to cause happiness or drama. I guess we'll just have to grow up and see.

I answered the phone, and Josh's face appeared on the screen, smiling for all to see.

"Hey Josh!" I waved excitedly.

"Hey Sarah!" Josh returned the greeting before turning to the rest of the gang. "Hey guys!"

My friends said hello and then, right on cue, Josh turned a bit of his attention to Ally. I hid my growing smile.

"Hi Ally," Josh said sheepishly.

Ally just stood there, with her arms folded across her chest, and a blank expression on her face. She was very defensive whenever Josh tried to talk to her.

"...'Sup?" Was all she said.

I shook my head a little and turned to her.

"Be nice," I whispered a bit of advice.

Kayla nudged me aside so Josh could see her more clearly.

"Hey Josh," she gave off her world-famous grin. "How's my hometown?"

"Chicago misses you, Kayla," Josh smiled at Kayla.

This made Kayla's smile, not to mention her ego, grow in appreciation. She flipped away a piece of her hair back behind her ear as if she was the most loveable girl on the earth, and pretended to inspect her nails.

"Of course," she said with an air of superiority in her voice. "It's hard not to."

Ally watched this, and made the first reaction I had seen her do since Josh called. She smacked Kayla on the arm lightly and discreetly.

"Are you **_flirting_** with him?" she asked with indignation her voice.

"Josh!" Celia waved at the phone.

"Celia!" Josh shouted, happy to see his old friend as he took a closer inspection."...Did you add another purple strand in your hair?"

It was true. Celia, to keep up with her punk style, added another purple strand to her black hair.

"You like?" she asked.

"It matches your eyes," Josh winked at her.

I looked over to Ally when I saw this wink, and she stood there for a bit, mentally digesting what was happening. Maybe Josh decided to get Ally jealous instead of desperately trying to just talk to her. I didn't know if it was a good idea, but it did prove effective.

"OK," she grumbled. "Now this is just getting ridiculous."

Keeping a bit of laughter to myself and giving a tiny wink to my friend, I turned back to Josh, trying to get the conversation ball rolling.

"How's Aunt Elaina?" I asked.

"She's doing good," Josh answered. "She's out on a date."

"Oooh!" The girls and I replied, instantly giddy with the thought of someone we know on a date.

Growing up, I never really had much contact with my Aunt Elaina. Whenever she was out with Edgar, she would always remain quiet and a bit anti-social. There were times when she would leave the house to go off on some adventure by herself, like a trip to Paris or Spain. But I do remember thinking at a young age how regal she looked in her beauty with her wavy black hair and deep green eyes.

After Edgar's death, it seemed that the chains that had been around her heart for the 13 years before were broken and she was free to be a kind and sweet woman. She showed her true colors after she felt she had been allowed to. It was nice to know that she was out dating again. I think her love for her late husband died long before he did. That would explain the quick change in her lifestyle.

"Is he hot?" Kayla asked.

Josh rolled his eyes when asked this very cliche question girls around the world ask.

"He's a wealthy patron that's sponsering my mom's exhibit," he replied.

Kayla's eyes went a little dark.

"That doesn't answer my question, you meathead!" she exclaimed.

"That's 'cause I don't care," Josh stated simply.

Dark eyes went to wide eyes on Kayla's face in surprise.

"Whoa!" Ally shouted, laughing. "Burn!"

Josh seemed happy to at least have made Ally laugh, even if it was at the expense of her cousin. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"First Sarah beats me at the video game that I rule supreme over," Kayla started "And now you just diss me!"

"And without a snappy comeback too!" Ally added in, still laughing.

"Kayla," Celia shook her head, controlling her giggles well. "This is not your night."

"Shut up!" Kayla snapped at Celia.

I scooted back a little, away from Kayla. Seriously, it looked like there was fire in her eyes, and one more comment that threatened to deflate her ego would probably prove bad for the rest of us.

"Geez," I mummbled to myself. "And I thought I was the one who was supposed to get PMS tonight."

"Anyway," Josh returned to our conversation. "I called 'cause I thought you could use my help."

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I tried to think of what it was that I needed help in. I doubted he was going to teach me self-defense moves, so I just gave up trying to figure out what it was.

"With what?" I asked.

"That new TV show Haley Kingston is using to bash you," Josh explained in a tone that sounded like he thought I didn't know about it. "_Gotham Gossip_?"

At the mention of that television show that was created by some demon spawn (aka: Haley), I prayed silently to all that was good and wonderful in this world that my worst fears did not become a reality.

"Don't tell me it's gone national," I begged Josh.

Josh chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to see how he could best answer.

"Not exactly..." he started.

"Then how do you know about the show when you live in Chicago?" I asked, even more confused.

A wince on my cousins face told me that I wasn't going to like the answer.

"...It's on the internet," he replied carefully.

...He had to be kidding me here.

Celia had brought her laptop over so she could work on a video project she had for school, so she took it out of her backpack that was beside the couch and logged onto the internet. I scooted over to where she sat, telling Josh to hold on for a second as we surveyed the damage. I kept thinking to myself that maybe a lot of people don't watch this show, let alone a few video clips on the internet.

On a popular video sharing website, there it was: A short, one minute video clip of one of the most embarassing moments of my life ever to be caught on camera. It showed every bit of what occured that night, including my chocolate covered self.

...I'm still finding clumps of dry pudding in my hair brush a week after this crap happened.

"That was a lot of pudding..." Josh said, still wincing.

I shook my head in disbelief, trying to control an angry face I could start to feel showing up.

"I can't believe it's on the internet," I said in a tight voice.

"Look how many hits this got on here!" Kayla inspected the website closely. "It's a featured video!"

Ally rolled her eyes and smacked her cousin on the back of her head.

"Ow!" Kayla shouted, rubbing her scalp.

"Not helping, Kayla!" Ally said through gritted teeth.

"An episode is actually on right now," Josh updated us. "Who's that guy you bumped into?"

"What guy?" I asked. "I didn't..."

Wait a second...Don't tell me she...

"Oh no," I said in realization.

I heard Ally sigh in a bit of distress. Obviously, she was just about as tired of this television show as I was.

"I'll turn on the TV," she said in a bored tone.

After flipping through a few channels, Ally was able to find the public access channel that aired _Gotham Gossip_. JJ, the host of Haley's heinous talk show, was standing there on the stage with her plump figure, and a sickeningly sweet smile that made me want to puke. There was something about that smile that made me feel unsettled and a little angry.

JJ showed the clip of me bumping into Tyler Jamestown, and therefore making a complete idiot of myself. The film editors of the show made absolutely sure they got a look of surprise on my face before I collided into my pending crush. I gotta tell you, it did not make me look pretty.

"She really should watch where she's going," JJ said to her television audience in that sweet voice that made me want to hate even Minnie Mouse. "Maybe the chocolate pudding messed up her senses a _teeny_-_tiny_ bit."

OK. That's it. I've had it.

"You've gotta be **_kidding_** me!" I shouted in disbelief.

Kayla had been watching with us from behind the couch, her arms leaning against the back cushions. Slowly, with a look in her eyes we all should have noticed at first, she stood up straight.

"Ladies," she announced in a calm voice. "I'll be right back."

I don't think we noticed Kayla say this, or her leaving the room for that matter. We were all still pre-occupied with what Haley had done lately.

"How did she even get a camera man that close?" Ally asked in both puzzled and angered tones. "They're not allowed on school grounds!"

According to the official student handbook at Gotham City Private, to protect the students and their families, cameras that were handled by the media were not allowed within 20 yards of the building unless given special permission by Miss Rose, our Headmistress or if it was an emergency. Anything put into the media involving one of the students without that permission risked the prestigious reputation Gotham City Private had and lost the security of anonymity each and every student was promised.

I still couldn't belive it though. It did interest me on how Haley got a camera that close. There weren't any cameramen to be found when I bumped into Tyler. I'm sure of it...

...Of course...There were other ways to get footage without being seen with a big 20 pound camera resting on your shoulders...

"Bruce said he'd have this taken care of," I said in distress.

Ally looked at me like I was crazy.

"Since when does Haley Kingston do what your godfather says?" she asked me. "She probably got her dad to pull some strings."

"Hey guys," Josh interuppted. "Where did Kayla go?"

We all looked around and noticed that the resident trouble-maker of our group had vanished and we didn't even realize it until now. If Kayla had left the room without anyone else with her, it could only mean one thing:

She was about to get some sort of revenge.

"Oh great," Ally sounded like a mother whose energetic child got loose in the toy store again.

"I'll go get her," Celia got up from her seat and went to go get Kayla.

"Sarah, listen," Josh started again as I sighed in annoyance. "Don't worry about what she says, OK? Not everyone in Gotham falls for this kind of crap."

"Tell that to the world," I looked away a bit, feeling a little embarassed that my life could be viewed from everyone from here to Texas to China.

A few seconds later, Celia returned with Kayla trailing behind her and holding Kayla's cell phone. I swear, Kayla and that **_stupid_** cell phone! It was like giving a toddler a gun to play with! Who knew what kind of stunt she was going to pull? Why don't we just lock it in a safe already?

"Oh come on!" Kayla shouted in protest. "I had a good name to call her too!" She then pointed at Celia, then me, then Ally when she said this. "You all know she deserves it."

"What was the name?"Ally asked, out of curiousity.

Before she said it out loud, Kayla glanced at me, then decided to whisper the name she was going to call Haley Kingston in her cousin's ear. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What was she going to call her that made me think I couldn't handle the name?

Apparently, Ally couldn't handle it either. She pulled back a second later, a look of disgust on her face pointed directly at Kayla.

"Ewww!" she exclaimed, her face scrunching up as if she smelled rotten fish "Kayla! That's sick!"

"I don't even wanna know..." I made a face, my mind thinking up the worse.

"Where do you learn that kind of stuff?"

"Wow," Kayla folded her arms, and stood there like it was no big deal. "You sound like your mom."

Ally usually was a very patient person...except for when it comes to shopping and going to parties and...OK, I take it back. She's a very impatient person, but she tolerates a lot of things. She tolerates her brother leaving the toilet seat up in the bathroom; Kayla borrowing her clothes without permission; she'll even tolerate someone who is wearing the exact same outfit she was wearing.

But the one thing she doesn't tolerate for a second was someone telling her that she sounded like her mom.

I mean, don't get me wrong, Ally loves her mom to death. However, the last thing any girl wants to hear at the age of 13 was that she was turning into her mother or a mother like figure.

"You take that back!" Ally shouted.

The next thing I know, Ally had tackled her cousin to the ground, and they were rolling on the floor wrestling each other behind the couch, screaming out insults that I couldn't even make out.

"Josh, I gotta go!" I said to Josh before quickly hanging up my phone.

Springing out of my seat, I rushed to where my friends physically fought each other.

"You guys!" I tried grabbing a hold of them "Knock it off! You're gonna break something!"

While I was desperately trying to get my friends to stop fighting, Celia caught something on the television that made her face pale white.

"Guys..." she said in a soft voice.

I didn't hear her. Ally and Kayla yelling at each other deafened her mousey-tone.

"Ally," I grabbed hold of Ally's arm. "Let go of Kayla's hair!"

"Guys..." Celia tried again, her tone a little louder.

"Ow!" I pulled my hand back. "Kayla, you bit me!"

"Guys!" Celia practically screamed. "Somthing's happened!"

The terror that was heard in Celia's quivering yell stopped Ally and Kayla's fighting instantly and my attempt to get them to stop. When I saw Celia...I swear, I had never seen her so scared before. At least, not since last night, when she told us her ghost story about The Man With The Bleeding Smile.

"What is it, Celia?" I asked gently, making my way over to the other side of the couch.

Celia said nothing. She just stood there and pointed at the television. It only took me a few seconds to realize that Mike Engel, Gotham City's leading anchorman, had interruptd _Gotham Gossip_ with a breaking news bulletin.

Someone was murdered, along with four other people.

I mean, a lot of people unfortunetly get killed every day, but you have to be someone of great importance or, in Gotham's case, a notorious criminal to get on a breaking news report.

In this case, it was a criminal who met his untimely death. A mob boss, actually, who went by the name Gambol.

The bodies were found in Thomasina Arms, a place infamous for the heads of crime families to meet up and do their dirty business. Bruce always told me to never go over to that part of the city. It was very dangerous.

Four of the bodies were stabbed: Two of which were stabbed in the heart, instantly killing them, the other two stabbed repeatedly after a gruesome fight that involved the sharp end of a billiard stick broken in half.

But it was how Gambol was killed and how the bodies were found that confused and frightened me.

Obviously, the reports weren't official. They were still showing live footage of the bodys being carted out on gurneys in black body bags, but a rumor was stated that Gambol died due to a knife slicing his face from a corner of his lip to the end of his ear and that near the bodies were a few joker cards.

I know what you're thinking: People usually don't die from a cut on the face. But Gambol's face was sliced. He probably could've lived through that too and only require major stitches and a possible facial reconstructive surgery, but...The knife could've damaged a critical nerve connecting to the brain...

...Or he could have just died from fear.

Pure fear.

The sound of running feet broke my concentration on how Gambol and his men were murdered, and I turned to find a bit of purple hair disappearing around the corner and into the hallway of Rachel's apartment.

"Ci?" I stood up from the couch and followed her quickly.

Ally and Kayla followed me to the bathroom where I could see Celia's shadow from the light in there through the crack underneath the door. Something scared Celia, and I mean scared the crap out of her. It frightened her enough to lock herself in the bathroom.

"Is she OK?" Ally asked, concerned.

"Hang on," I said before, knocking on the door, worry in my voice. "Celia what's wrong?"

Celia didn't reply. I knocked a few more times, asking her if she was all right, and still she didn't answer. Pressing my ear to the door, I listened carefully.

A faint sob reached my ears. She was crying? Why was she crying?

I turned to Ally and Kayla, who looked just as worried as I did. But I had to stay calm for myself, Ally, Kayla, and especially Celia.

"Can you guys go call Celia's mom?" I asked softly.

They didn't say anything. Ally and Kayla quickly and quietly left the hallway to go call Mrs. Henderson in another room. I dug into my pocket and took out a hairpin. Ever since last year, when I was locked away in my room in Edgar's mansion, I always carried a hairpin with me and used it to pick a lock. It got me out before, and now I was using it to make sure that one of my best friends was okay.

After working the pin in the lock for about 30 seconds, I heard the soft click in the gears that told me I unlocked the door successfully.

"Celia?" I carefully called out when I slowly opened the bathroom door.

To give her a bit of privacy, not allowing the others to see her, I locked the bathroom door behind me, and looked at Celia.

I had never seen her like this before.

She was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest while her hands were clasped together on top, hiding her mouth to keep the occasional sob from sounding out. Black streaks from her eye make up flowed down her cheeks, the chemicals mixing with the tears, and making her brown eyes a little bloodshot from the mascara that would get in her eyes and the crying.

At first, I didn't know what to do, but I quickly got on my knees, and tried to make Celia look at me.

"What is it?" I asked softly.

Celia wouldn't answer me. She just kept breathing, her breaths shaking with the inhaling and exhaling of air. Pretty soon, she was shivering slightly, but I knew it was too warm for her to be shaking. Nevertheless, I put a comforting arm around her.

"What's wrong?" I asked again.

"...He did it..." Was all Celia said in a whisper that seemed to belong in darkness.

I couldn't understand a word she was saying. She was speaking in a way that made her belong in a psychiatric ward. But I did know that whatever happened to Gambol and his men that night triggered her fear. I was going to do whatever was possible to find out what she was talking about.

Despite the fact that I was mad at him for lying to me and ditching me when he was supposed to teach me self-defense, I tried to think of what Bruce would do if he was here. Part of him would probably try to figure out what was going on right this second, just like I was, but I know that if he saw Celia like this, he'd take care of her first. He always looked out for my friends, even if they didn't know it.

Channeling my godfather, I took a look at Celia's face and saw it was quite a mess with all the make up and tear stains on her face. I got up and found a wash cloth in one of the drawers and ran it through some cold water.

"I know it was him..." I kept hearing her say to herself. "...He did it..."

At this point, it registered in my brain that Celia could possibly know who was behind the murders of Gambol and his men. But I focused on trying to comfort her before I asked anymore questions.

After squeezing the excess water out of the washcloth, I returned to Celia, crouching next to her, and gently lifting her face so I could get a better view. She didn't turn away from me and hide again. Instead she just stared at the wall, like she was stuck in some other world where she could hear no one.

I started gently wiping her face with the washcloth. Most of the black eye make-up came off, but it took another washcloth to get the rest off. I took my time, saying nothing like Celia. We were quiet, but it was OK. Nothing needed to be said right now.

When I was finishing wiping her cheeks, I saw Celia's face without make up for the first time. It looked like a tiny ghost child's face: Pale, younger looking, and wide-eyed. The only thing that helped me remember that this was 13-year-old Celia were the purple streaks in her hair.

"...He killed them," Celia said in her soft voice again.

For a moment, I stared at my friend in concern, before dropping the washcloth to my lap, and sighed. Even though I had an idea of what she was talking about, I was still confused.

"Who did?" I asked.

"...That's his calling card," Celia babbling whispers returned.

I know she must've been scared, but I was getting tired. The last thing I wanted for Celia was for her to end up in a strait jacket because of her catatonic mutterings. Firmly grasping her shoulders, I shook her a little, trying to knock some of reality back into her.

"Celia," I said, worried for her. "You're not making any sense. Who are you talking about?"

My tone seemed to bring back the Celia I knew and loved to the real world, because her eyes shifted a little before closing a moment, and opened again before looking at me. Recognition fell on her face as she realized where she was and who was with her. I kept staring at her, wondering if she was still here with me before she remembered what I had asked her.

Taking a deep breath, she began her story.

"...A few months ago..." she started slowly and quietly "Do you remember there were 4 neighborhood bosses that were murdered in an alley down the street from my house?"

After a few seconds, I nodded. Celia had come to the Penthouse one day, all worked up about a few murders that happened near the safety of her home. Bruce had already been working on the case, but that was all I knew about it. I had asked her if she was going to be all right and that if she felt safe. She said that everything was fine and back to normal, and that her dad had changed the locks on the house and bought a gun in order to protect his family.

She didn't tell me now, but she did later, and that was when I realized that Celia's calmness had been a masquerade. Later that same week, she found out what happened to the neighborhood bosses, and she told me that she lost sleep over it in fear.

"They had smiles sliced into their faces..." she continued her story. "From their lips-" She placed a finger to a corner of her lips before tracing it to where her cheek met her ear. "-To here...Just like what happened to Gambol...I mean, I know he's part of the mob, but..."

Celia stopped, trying to supress an incoming sob, but found that she couldn't. A moment later, she was letting herself cry more than she allowed herself to in the beginning. I put my arm around her, holding her head, almost rocking her as she cried on my shoulder, kind of like what Bruce did for me when I was upset.

"No one deserves that kind of torture," she finished, still sobbing uncontrollably.

I thought about what she said for a few moments before coming to the conclusion that Celia was right. Despite the fact that Gambol was part of the mob, the only thing he and his men deserved was to be sent to prison for their crimes. He didn't deserve to have his face sliced open. Just like those neighborhood bosses didn't deserve it a few months ago.

But the more I thought, the more I realized that I hadn't known about how those bosses were killed until now. I should've known from the moment it happened. Bruce told me he was working on the case. He told me everything else, except for the cause of death that was similar to Gambol's. Why didn't he tell me then?

I also realized that these killings must have gone on for months...

"Celia..." I said, a bit of fear growing in my voice. "What are you saying?"

"...There were joker cards next to the bodies..." Celia continued through her sobs.

Feeling the color drain from my face, the thought I had in my head was proven true.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, letting go of Celia to look at me.

These murders had been going on for months. Someone was trying to send a message to the mob and to the people of Gotham. How could I have not known about this?

But I noticed the look Celia was giving me. She wasn't finished telling me whatever it was that needed to be said.

And it needed to be said. Celia did know who was behind Gambol's murder and the murder of those neighborhood bosses.

However, we could only call him by the only name we had at the time.

"That's the Man With The Bleeding Smile, Sarah..." Celia told me, in a voice clear as day, but also as dark as night.

I stared at Celia, with an open mouth and the look of fear slowly growing in my eyes. She started crying again, but this time, I could tell it was from relief that she unloaded her burden of knowing this horrible truth alone for a while. I was amazed at how well she kept this to herself, and went on towards life like nothing was wrong. I felt that I could even trust her with Bruce's secret of being Batman, but I couldn't tell her.

Telling someone the truth about my godfather being Batman was a decision made by my godfather, not me. And if Celia, or anyone of my friends, knew, they risked being the danger that I always forget I live in everyday.

Celia continued to cry, and the only thing I could do was pull her in my arms again, comforting her once more.

"It's OK..." I said, not thinking of anything else to say.

"No," Celia shook her head, tears streaming down her eyes "...It's _not_ OK..."

What could I do? I had to do something. I was the only one within miles who was capable of saying something and making a difference. But Bruce and Alfred were gone, and they told me it would be a while before I could get a hold of them. Tomorrow night I could, but I didn't know if that would be too late before someone else was murdered.

"Sarah, I'm scared," Celia whispered through another sob.

From the beginning, I was a bad liar, and my friends could always see that. The only lie they believed as a truth was that I didn't know who Batman was, and they don't even ask me that question. Ally asked once, but that was before I knew.

I thought about telling Celia that there was nothing to be afraid of and that everything was going to be OK, just like Bruce would always tell me. Bruce would take care of this. He would.

But this time, I didn't lie about what I was feeling to Celia.

Instead, I told her the truth.

"...Me too, Ci," I softly replied as I stroked her hair.

Another moment of silence passed. My dear friend's sobs had quieted until they diminished into nothing, their exsistence only awake by the tear stains on her cheeks. I still sat on the bathroom floor next to her, stroking Celia's black hair, untangling certain knots from time to time in reverence.

A quiet intake of breath told me that more words were going to pass from Celia's lips.

"C-Can you do something for me?" she stuttered. "Please?"

She really didn't have to ask. I'd take a bullet for my friends in a heartbeat.

"Whatever it is, Celia," I said firmly. "Ask me and I'll do it."

I wasn't prepared for what Celia was about to ask. I thought it would be to see if she could spend the night here to be safe, or for me to tell Gordon about what she knows.

"Can you tell Batman what's going on?" she asked. "Can you tell him what I know?"

Surprised, I looked at my friend dumbfounded. I hadn't expected that.

My closest friends always knew that calling upon the Batman for help these days, after a solemn oath that the Dark Knight and I would never make contact to each other for my own safety.

I know Batman is Bruce, and I could always tell Bruce.

But Celia asked me to tell Batman, and that made the task seem impossible.

"Ci..." I tried to think of an excuse.

"Please?" Celia asked desperately.

I made a promise not to contact Batman...So why did I hesitate to say no?

"I can't..." I shook my head. "He can't...How do I even..."

"Please?" she asked once more.

I then realized that I couldn't say "no" to Celia anymore. To deny her would be impossible. Especially when she was desperate and when she told me she was afraid. And she was my friend. So I promised her all that I was able.

"I'll do my best," I said.

I tried my best to smile, as did Celia, but I think she was still shaken up a bit from that night's news broadcast.

Trying to comprehend what I just promised, I realized that I promised to contact Batman and pass along the information I had been given, but instead was going to give it to Bruce.

I know it was the same thing, but it felt like lying to me.

I wanted to promise her something else, but all I could give was the same comfort Bruce would give me.

"Everything will be all right," I whispered. "...I promise."

* * *

_**Me: *Trying to sneak out of the chapter early***_

_**Bruce Wayne: *Grabs me by the back of the collar, holding me a few inches off the air by it***_

_**Me: "Dude! Watch it! I just bought this! The fabric's very delicate!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "And where do you think you're off to that can't be explained to your readers and reviewers?"**_

_**Me: "Nowhere! Absolutely nowhere! None of your freakin' business!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Yeah...Not buying it."**_

_**Me: "Fine, I'm working on the rough draft of the next chapter."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "You don't get an eyebrow wax, new clothes, a haircut, and new jewelry when you write a new chapter!"**_

_**Me: *folds arms defensively* "I work hard. I deserve nice things and I deserve to be pretty."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "You do realize that you've only got 86 days left to get this story at least 3/4's of the way done. You're gonna be working your butt off for a long time until July 20th. You know what that means?"**_

_**Me: "You nagging in my ear about getting a chapter done, sending a bat or two in my room, and keeping me up all night to get some work done?"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "There's one more thing...No kissing guys until you prove you're working on this."**_

_**Me: "What? Crap no, Wayne! I can't help it if I get kissed by a guy. Now let go! I've got a date and you're stretching out the lace shirt!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: *lets go* "Fine, but he better not be another jerk. And he better treat you with respect. I don't want another incident like the last guy."**_

_**Me: "Yeesh, this is what I get for having a playboy billionaire slash masked vigilante as a muse." *to the readers* "Anyway, other than dating, I've also been working long hours on my job, so life got in the way, as well as weird guys who seem to be creeps. I swear, it's like I'm dating the inmates of Arkham Asylum. Plus, computer has been down for a while, so I really couldn't get to this chapter until recently. So, anyway, I thank you all for your patience, your love, your reviews, and your opinions. I love you all, and I am working on the next chapter...*runs off* Right after I get some hot fireman to kiss me!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: *runs after me* "Hey! I said no kissing! You get back here! *to the reviewers* If you guys review, I'll go easy on her."**_


	11. Every Thought Becomes A Secret

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

I was about to break one of my godfather's rules.

After what happened with Celia and her knowledge of the murders of Gambol, I laid in bed awake thinking all night about what I could do to help. If Bruce were here, I would've told him what had happened immediately, despite my being upset with him. He and I would've gone to the Bunker and pulled an all nighter doing research on the crimes that were committed. I would occasionally help out. We had some good memories in that Bunker.

But I was never allowed in without either Bruce or Alfred knowing or being with me.

For hours, I debated with myself on whether or not I should break a rule made by Bruce, and investigate what I could.

On one hand, I could just wait another day and tell Bruce what Celia told me. That way he could take care of everything.

On the other hand, now that I know that The Man With The Bleeding Smile was real and obviously put a terror on my friends, I felt obligated to do something and fast.

I think I only had an hour or two of sleep before it was time to get up. Rachel had to leave early for a few meetings at work, so the only breakfast we were able to have together was a couple of donuts and some orange juice.

When I asked her how the ballet was last night, she replied that it was cancelled. Generally, I found this a little odd because it usually takes weeks to get tickets like the ones she and Dent had for their date, and they usually let everyone know in advance along with a refund if any such situation would cause a cancellation.

Although, the way Rachel said it was cancelled made me think that there was more to the story than she was telling me.

The plan for today was that Alfred should be back home by noon. Bruce would be back early by Monday morning, hopefully with Lau in custody. I had to act fast if I was going to get in the Bunker and get out before anyone noticed.

I told Rachel I was going to hang out with Celia today before I went home to the Penthouse where Alfred was...which was a total lie, but she bought it anyway and left for work.

While I roller-bladed to the shipping yards, I did call Celia on my cell phone to make sure she was doing okay. Unlike me, she got a good night's sleep and was feeling a little better. I was thankful that she did. She asked me if I had contacted the Batman yet. All I told her was that I was working on it and that he was kind of hard to reach.

"It's not like he has a Facebook or anything," I had joked to get my friend to laugh.

And it did make her laugh. Celia told me to be careful, I promised I would, and I hung up the phone just as I reached the crate that would lead me to the Bunker underground.

I stopped for a moment, realizing that it was locked. Bruce and Alfred both had a key to the padlock, but I didn't. My godfather didn't think I needed one considering I wasn't allowed in by myself.

But Bruce didn't think of everything.

Grinning to myself a little, I dug into my pocket and took out my trusty lock-picking hairpin and set straight to work.

I unlocked it within fifteen seconds and quickly rushed inside before any bystanders that happened to be near could see me, closing the crate door behind me, and lowered the platform.

The lights in the Bunker immediately turned on, sensing a human presence in the large room. When the platform stopped safely on the ground, I quickly took off my roller-blades, remembering another one of Bruce's rules. I was already breaking the rule about being by myself in here. I didn't want to make any scuff-marks on the floor to give away my sneaking around.

All I needed to use was the computer to get into some case files that were meant for my godfather's eyes only. The problem was that I didn't know the password to get into the system...

...That and I had very little knowledge on how to work a computer like this.

Nevertheless, I had to try. For Celia.

Setting my backpack on the ground, I sat in the black swivel chair in front of the six-screen computer. The sight of it intimidated me a little, but I had a job to do.

Turning on the system was easy enough. All I had to do was crack the password.

"Please don't make this hard on me, Bruce..." I said to myself.

Let us hope that my godfather had a password that was easy to remember.

I tried typing out the date of his birth.

In big red letters, the words "**ACCESS DENIED**" appeared to me on the main computer.

One down, a million more to go.

Over the next half hour or so, I tried many different types of passwords, mostly people's birthdays. All of them didn't seem to work. I was beginning to grow frustrated and I was running out of time.

When I tried Rachel's birthday, it still wouldn't let me into the system.

Letting out a frustrated growl, I pushed the chair away, banging my knee on the process underneath the table.

I almost swore out loud, but instead I held my knee, trying to allieviate the pain quickly. Wearing shorts that day was not a good idea. Luckily it was only a little scrape, but it still hurt like heck.

Just then, my ears picked up a small noise. It sounded like machinary working its gears somewhere. Snapping my head toward where I pin-pointed the strange noise, I almost fell backward in panic at what I had seen, but I quickly caught myself placing my hands on the table behind me.

That was when my fingers grazed something underneath. I turned around back toward the computer table and looked underneath. A little puzzled, I found what appeared to be a tiny red button, hidden just under the edge of the table. I must've accidentally pressed it when I banged my knee.

Plus...It would explain how I had seen what I had seen.

Slowly turning around, I looked again at what I saw, the fear slowly going away, even though a small portion of its presence remained with me.

A secret compartment had slowly rose up from the ground beneath through the thick concrete floor. There was something inside closed behind metal mesh doors. It only took me a second to realize what it was before the doors opened, revealing to me something I hadn't seen in a year.

Cautiously, I walked toward it. Even after a long year, and though I knew the truth, the wonders of the mysterious and dark side of the world felt just as delicious in my soul as it had when I first realized that even the darkest of creatures had a soul of their own and could sometimes seek light while they represented the night.

"So..." I whispered to myself in wonder. "_That's_ where he keeps the suit."

Bruce never did tell me where he was keeping the armor that made him Batman at night. Then again, I never asked. He must've had the new armor and put his old one in here for now before he decided what to do with it. I could tell it was the old one because I could see tiny holes in the left sleeve from where the rottweilers he encountered last week sunk their teeth.

Around the Batman armor were the gadgets that I remembered from last year: The grappling gun, smoke bombs, oxygen re-breathers, small mines that exploded upon impact when they were activated, and, my favorite, the throwing stars that were shaped like a bat: The batarangs.

They laid there on a small shelf right beside me, encased in black fabric shaped around them, one by one. All except one was accounted for.

The one that was missing was right inside a pocket in my backpack.

At the thought of this, I glanced at my backpack sitting next to the computer table, knowing full-well of where the batarang was among my clothes and books. Then I looked back to where the rest of its brothers laid.

Bruce wasn't an idiot. He knows there's one missing, but I'm sure he didn't know where he lost it.

I looked at the rest of the suit. Engraved on the chest was a bat. Another quality I remembered from the suit. I traced along the edge of it with my finger, just like I do with the batarang.

Last, but certainly not least, I gazed at the mask.

It was less scary without a head placed inside of it.

I remembered how Bruce always looked so different when he wore the mask. Instead of that infamous amused smile he always had on, it would dissolve into a thin frown, almost making it like he had no expression at all. His soft green eyes would harden and glare at it's target, piercing and cold. Those were the only things visible on the mask. The mouth and the eyes are all a person needs to strike at the heart of the criminal world of Gotham.

...I wonder...

My hands shook a bit as I raised them toward the mask, standing on the tips of my toes to reach it. I took the mask off the hook where it was resting, set my feet completely on the floor and looked at it, staring at it...

...And then I slowly put it on my head, the weight of it pushing my hair flat.

It was a little big for my size. Then again, it was made for Bruce's head to squeeze into. He always complained how hot and stuffy it usually got in there, and I could see what he meant. I already felt a bit warm in that thing.

Walking over to one of the dark tinted windows of the Tumbler that wasn't too far away, I saw my reflection.

I didn't look nearly as menacing and frightening as my godfather would when he had it on. I looked like a little girl trying on a halloween costume that was too big and made her feel like a bit of a dork.

And yet...there was a certain power I felt. A different side of me had been born when I put the mask on.

To be honest...I kind of liked the feeling. It made me think I could do anything, and nothing in this world would be able to stop me.

Suddenly, as I looked at my reflection on the window of the Tumbler, I realized I was still trying to figure out the password on the computer system...

...When I saw my reflection once again, it hit me.

The password was the date Batman made his first appearance to Gotham.

I dug out the cell phone in my pocket, and looked at the time on the screen. There was only an hour left before Alfred was scheduled to be back at the Penthouse, and he probably had some equipment that needed to be put away in the Bunker. I didn't have much time.

Carefully, but also as quickly as possible, I put the mask back where I was and raced toward the computer typing in the password. It was kind of easy to remember the date of the first night Bruce started being Batman. Not only was it a week after the murder of my parents, but I was there when he first became known. The date was permanently filed into my brain.

Typing in the date, I pressed enter, and a huge grin appeared on my face when I saw the words "**ACCESS GRANTED**" lit up in green letters on the screen.

"And I'm back in the game," I said to myself in triumph.

After a few seconds of loading, everything from case files belonging to the GCPD and the MCU to the notes Bruce would take on certain crimes. There was only one thing I was looking for and that was whoever murdered Gambol last night.

I searched through the official and pending reports made by the GCPD and MCU on Gambol's case. The information given to me was just as vague as the news report last night was. It almost looked like I was getting nowhere and had cracked the password for nothing.

Luckily, I discovered a little trick on the computer that would allow me to match up any similarities on different cases within seconds.

I used that system, and files and pictures popped onto the screen instantly.

That was when I got my first hard look at what the future had in store for me very soon.

"...Oh my gosh..." I whispered, my eyes filled with terror.

A crime scene investigator had taken a picture of Gambol's body and of his face. Feeling a bit of horror and sickness mixed into my throat, I put a hand over my open mouth.

Celia was right and the rumors were true. A side of Gambol's face had been sliced open from the corner of this mouth all the way up past his ear. Blood pooled around that area, and I could see the inside of his mouth where there was no damage from the mutilated side. That's how he died?

I never heard much about Gambol except for the fact that he was tough and you didn't want to mess with him. He sounded like he could take anything that was thrown at him. It even looked like he could have survived this horrific event.

Maybe I was right after all.

A person could die of fear.

Celia also appeared to be speaking the truth when I noticed the case file of those four neighborhood bosses that were murdered a few months ago.

They died the same way Gambol did.

And both crime scenes had a joker card to be accounted for.

There weren't any fingrprints that matched any criminal that was already in the police system. No DNA seemed to match up to anyone. Whoever committed those crimes was new in town, and what amazed me was that he seemed to have gotten away with these heinous acts for at least a year now.

He also seemed to have a knack for robbing banks, which would explain the police report on the robbery of Gotham National Bank.

...Wait a minute...

Memories of what I heard about the robbery last week came flooding back to me as I read the report.

The Man With The Bleeding Smile planned that?

Actually, according to the police reports, he seemed to have earned a new name, and it fitted him considering the little calling cards he would leave next to the bodies of his victims.

Police called him The Joker.

I'll be honest, "The Joker" sounds less chilling than "The Man With The Bleeding Smile". I sort of laughed when I realized that was his name. It sounded kind of stupid to me.

There was a file that seemed to have pictures of the guy, and I was going to click on it to see what this man looked like, but then something else caught my eye.

Curious, I clicked on the file that was marked GCPS. That was my school.

And then my curiousity turned into furiousity.

Let me tell you why.

As you may have already known, my godfather was very protective of me. Normally, I'm used to it. I mean, I know he's Batman, and therefore that puts me at more risk than anybody else. That I understand completely.

But this was just borderline stupid _**and**_ crazy!

_**My godfather had cameras set up in my school.**_

And not just in my school. He had them set up in all the classes I take!

I recognized the choir room where I would take my music classes; My science room where I could still see the spot on the counteer Kayla left after she mixed in two chemicals that exploded; my history classroom, _everything_!

I just sat there in disbelief, looking at the surveillance footage, shaking my head.

How could he have done this? Didn't he trust me at all? Why was he doing this?

The more I looked at the camera footage, the more noticeable the burning sensation in my eyes became. Quickly, I wiped them, preventing any tears to be shed. This was nothing to cry about. It was obvious that Bruce meant to keep this from me and had no intention of telling me about all this. Did he not think of the possibility that I would find out?

Sighing, I sat there in the chair, waiting until I was sure that a tear would not fall from my eyes in the disappointment of finding out this secret. Letting out a breath of air, I took out a notebook from my backpack I brought with me, wrote down the notes that I needed to know about The Man With The Bleeding Smile...Or Joker, whatever his name was, and got ready to leave.

I turned the computers off and hoisted my backpack on my shoulder, grabbing my roller skates. Then I noticed that the Batman suit was still up and out of its secret compartment. With folded arms, I stared at it before locating the button, pressing it, and returning the armor back underground from where it came, and began leaving the Bunker.

I think that was the first time that I wished that I never knew who Batman was at all...

* * *

I returned home to the Penthouse to find Alfred upstairs, packing away some things in Bruce's room. Smiling, it was a bit of a relief to see him home safe and sound. Of course, Alfred could take care of himself. There were occasions when I would help out in the kitchen with the dishes and he would tell me stories about the places he would travel and the missions he did for local governments when he was young. Alfred was a real adventurer back in the day.

Nevertheless, I was always glad to see him. He always put a smile on my face just by being in the room.

He took notice of me, and gave that smile I loved so much to me, and continued putting away Bruce's clothes.

"Miss Sarah," he started in the sweet, soft voice. "Welcome home. How was your weekend?"

I smiled, leaning against the doorframe, my hand gripping the rollerblades that were tied together by their laces on my shoulder.

"Too early to tell," I replied coyly. "It's not over yet."

Alfred chuckled at my witty reply.

"How is it so far?" he changed his question.

I took a moment to survey the events of my weekend.

First Bruce broke his promise about teaching me self-defense and lied to me.

Then Celia told us the scary story about The Man With The Bleeding Smile, after which I discovered that it was quite possible that Bruce came as Batman to check on me in Ally's house.

I got my first period.

Haley aired another embarassing episode about me on _Gotham Gossip_ and then Celia's panic attack.

Then discovering Bruce has been putting cameras in the places I usually go to and hang out and keeping surveillance footage.

Normally, I would say that this was a crappy weekend, but then I realized Alfred didn't like it when I said that word. He always said it wasn't very ladylike, so I changed the wording in my answer.

"It was interesting," I said, walking completely into the room and sitting on the neatly made bed.

"I would imagine so," Alfred replied, after coming out of Bruce's closet with a wincing smile. "Miss Dawes explained what happened yesterday over the phone this morning. I took the liberty of picking up a few supplies, if that is all right."

I nodded, understanding that Alfred was in the know about my first steps of becoming a woman.

"Does Bruce know what happened?" I asked.

Alfred took a moment to think about how he would answer.

"Yes and no," he replied.

"What does that mean?" I asked with a confused look.

"It means that I informed him what happened," Alfred then looked at me with a smile that held a chuckle. "And, like any other father or father figure raising a young woman, he refuses to acknowledge that it happened and chooses to remain absolutely oblivious on the subject." He shook his head, now chuckling. "The man chases after criminals and sociopaths night after night, getting shot at by bullets and chased by dogs, but for this, he instantly paled and stuttered. I had never seen him so at a loss of what to do."

I laughed a little along with Alfred, picturing my usually strong and fearless godfather stuttering and trying to think of what to say. Honestly, it was a really good thing he wasn't home when this happened. It would be awkward for the both of us.

"Obviously," Alfred was still smiling when he finished chuckling. "This is going to take some time for the both of you to get used to. Just be patient and it won't be so strange around him."

Nodding, I understood.

"When's he coming back?" I asked.

"He should be home by Monday morning," Alfred explained. "Although, I imagine he'll be exhausted, so he'll probably be just getting to sleep when you leave for school. You'll be able to see him before the fundraiser that night..."

Alfred then stopped a moment and patted my shoulder lovingly.

"He really is sorry that he wasn't able to teach you self-defense last Thursday," he explained on my godfather's behalf. "Things just came up that had to be taken care of."

I'm sure that before they parted ways, Bruce asked Alfred to apologize for him since he wouldn't be able to talk to me on the phone. Especially at this hour. It must be midnight in Hong-Kong, depending on the time zones and such.

I tried hiding my disappointment about Bruce ditching me and lying to me about where and why he couldn't teach me, so I gave a smile to Alfred.

"I'm sure that whatever it was, it was important." I convinced Alfred I didn't mind. "...Alfred...Has Bruce ever kept any secrets from you?"

The surveillance cameras I found hadn't let my mind. They were still bothering me and making me ask myself why this was hidden from me. It also made me wonder about our relationship. Was our mutual trust toward each other beginning to fade? And the more I thought about my relationship with my godfather and trust, I began to think about the relationship between him and Alfred.

Like I mentioned, Alfred's been the butler for the Wayne Family before Bruce was even born, so he's been around a long time. During that time, there was no question that there was a strong friendship between Alfred and Bruce. But even the strongest of relationships hold secrets.

Take Ally and me for example. Other than the obvious secret I keep from her, there were small secrets that I don't tell her. One secret I have was that I had never been on a roller coaster, even though I pretend like I have. I hated roller coasters. The loop-de-loop part always freaked me out.

Looking at Alfred, he had a somber expression on his face. He stared at me with it before sighing and sitting next to me on Bruce's bed, taking my hand in his like he always did when we would have our heart-to-heart talks.

"You know your godfather is a man of many things," he explained to me. "Secrets being one of them. But yes, he has kept secrets from me, and though I know most of them, including the big ones, I do not know all of them. He still keeps some from my knowledge."

"Why?" I asked, a bit confused. "You guys have known each other for his whole life, and you've been with him almost every step of the way. You're his best friend, Alfred. Why would he keep a secret from you?"

Alfred smiled a little, knowing that I wasn't able or unwilling to understand.

"It's human nature, Miss Sarah," he answered. "No one can help it. In fact, our every thought becomes a secret because we keep it to ourselves. Imagine, if everyone blurted out everything they were thinking, the world would be in chaos. Not all of it, mind you, but most of it...Keeping secrets is healthy as long as you have someone to confide in and as long as they are willing to keep that secret with you..."

Just then, the smile on Alfred's face faded and the tone in his voice became more serious.

"You carry a heavy burden, you know," he said, squeezing my hand in his. "Not very many 13-year-olds in this city live every day knowing the secret identity of Gotham's Dark Knight."

"I'm still 12, Alfred," I said softly.

"Yes, but you'll be 13 on Tuesday." A discreet wink was given before Alfred continued. "Miss Sarah...I know it's hard keeping a secret as big as Master Wayne's everyday. And I would suppose that it's not the type of secret that can be avoided all together. Especially at your school."

He did have a point there. For a whole year, there have been scattered occasions where I would be confronted by both older and younger students with questions about Batman. Everytime they ask me about him, I'm immediately reminded that one wrong answer or a slip of the tongue could ruin Bruce and break up the family permanently. I doubt that Child Services would allow a man who was a vigilante at night to raise and care for a 13-year-old teeange girl.

But I nodded, telling Alfred that he was right.

"I'm curious..." he said. "...Is there any a time when you would feel like you want to tell your friends about Master Wayne and his, shall we say, alter-ego?"

I shook my head.

"You know I can't, Alfred," I said.

"But do you want to?" Alfred asked again.

Actually, when it came to my friends and contemplating the wish that I could tell them about Bruce Wayne and Batman being one and the same man, it was a matter of both wanting to and really shouldn't be doing.

With Ally, if I told her, she'd probably have a bunch of questions for me that would take days to answer. She'd probably be cool with it for a while, but the pressure of keeping a secret that big would get to her. I mean, she's a strong individual, but I felt I should carry that burden instead of loading some of it on her.

Kayla would think it's cool too, but even though she's pretty sly, she'll slip up. I'm sure it would be on accident, but it would damage our friendship pretty badly.

A while ago, I thought Celia would want to be part of everything that is Batman related. But, given her episode on the previous night, I don't think she would want to be.

Knowing who Batman was meant putting myself in danger everyday.

I'd rather carry that burden alone than have my friends carry it with me. I loved them too much.

I shook my head again, giving Alfred my answer.

"I don't want to, Alfred." I answered quietly. "...If they knew and if they kept the secret too, they still wouldn't be prepared of what's to come..."

After a moment of silence, Alfred nodded.

"I admire your bravery, Miss Sarah," he complimented me.

I smiled a little, shaking my head.

"How am I brave?" I asked, curious. "All I do is keep a secret from my friends and everyone else."

Alfred just smiled, with that grandfather-like twinkle in his eye.

"Because even though Master Wayne spends most of his nights flying over rooftops and fighting in dangerous situations," he started. "..._You_ are the one who wakes up every day and protects him from something much more dangerous than a bullet by keeping that secret."

A small kiss on the cheek was all Alfred gave me before he got up to leave the room and then he said:

"And _that_ is why you are brave."

* * *

_**Bruce Wayne: *looks at the chapter, then the date it was added, then the chapter again, then the date again, recalls when the last chapter was updated, then glares at the author***_

_**Me: *looking pretty smug* "Well?"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "You sure this is the right date?"**_

_**Me: "I worked hard on this chapter, Wayne!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Only cause you had all week last week to finish this because your schedule suddenly cleared up. I'm assuming you didn't get kissed."**_

_**Me: "No, but I don't mind because the guy was a jerk anyway."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "They're always jerks! Tell me you're getting started on chapter 12 right now. This one was short!"**_

_**Me: "I am, but I'm warning you right now it'll probably be short and a little boring. But sometimes we need to write the boring stuff until we write the exciting parts and at least it'll get us closer to when the Joker finally comes into the storyline."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "Only took you almost three years to get that. You're supposed to be done with this by now!"**_

_**Me: "In a way, I'm glad I stalled. I can work on the story better if I know what I'm working towards."**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "..."**_

_**Me: "Ha! No comeback! I win!" *to the reviewers* "Surprised to see a new chapter early? Me too!"**_

_**Bruce Wayne: "It's a sign of the apocalypse..."**_

_**Me: "Anyway, the Joker shouldn't be too far behind. It's actually the only reason why I'm trying to update faster. Once I get to the parts I really wanna write, I'll be able to write faster. Hopefully it'll be almost done by July 20th. I'm really doing my best here. Plus, I saw the new trailer last night, and I was very happy. I'm definitely going to have fun with the third story. Review please! I'll update as soon as I can! I promise! I love you guys!"**_


	12. We Know They Watch Over Us

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

Living in the Penthouse on Sundays, you'd think that it would be kind of quiet.

I've got two words for that: Yeah right.

Sundays were the days when my friends would come over and study for big Friday tests. Alfred always bought some ice cream so we could have something sweet to eat while we quizzed ourselves over questions on the Tudor Era and French monarchs...Or at least tried to study that.

What would usually happen is Celia would come over first. Even though she didn't go to the same school as us, she was really great at asking us the questions we needed to know the answers to. Studying with Celia made learning the material bearable.

Unfortunetly, Celia wasn't going to come over today. Considering she was still probably a bit shook up about Joker and didn't want to talk to Ally and Kayla about it just yet, it was probably for the best.

Then Ally and Kayla would come over.

Their entrance into the Penthouse can go one of a few ways. Today, it was Ally being ticked at something and Kayla would be annoyed at Ally's complaining. When I asked what the problem was when we were getting ice cream in the kitchen, I immediately regretted it. Apparently, Ally and Kayla stopped by the mall this morning to go pick up Ally's dress she was going to wear for Dent's fundraising party tomorrow and they ran into Haley Kingston, who had just so happned to pick up her own dress, and left the store carrying out the same kind of dress. Needless to say, Ally was pretty pissed at that and still was when she came over.

It was a good thing Bruce wasn't home. Whenever my friends would come over in a bad mood, he'd lock himself in his room or go to the Bunker until they all left. I'll be the first to admit that girls complain about the most stupid of problems, and no one should have to hear about it. It was pretty annoying.

"I can't believe she bought the same dress I was going to wear!" Ally was still complaining when we were getting our ice cream. "Now I have to go out and buy a new one."

"Oh please," Kayla rolled her eyes as she drowned her chocolate ice cream in strawberry syrup. "It gives you another excuse to go out shopping."

Alfred was in the kitchen with us. Unlike Bruce, he tolerated every one of my friends little quirks and antics...Most of them anyway. The one thing he did not tolerate was a messy kitchen counter with sticky ice cream and cherrys and syrup, and Kayla was usually the culprit every Sunday. Once in a while, he casted a glance at the mess while he was chopping vegetables at the counter, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he would say something.

"Shouldn't you girls be studying for that test that's on Friday?" he reminded us.

"Yeah," I agreed, taking my ice cream bowl. "Come on guys. Let's go."

"Hang on," Kayla stopped Ally and I.

Ally and I were almost out the kitchen door when Kayla asked for us to wait for her. When we looked back, she was still piling on ice cream toppings into her bowl. She did this every Sunday. And every Sunday, she'd always leave a mess for Alfred to clean up. And everytime Alfred cleaned it up, the messes would get worse.

It was a vicious cycle, but it was a cycle Kayla wasn't going to break...willingly, at least.

After she piled on all the chocolate chips she wanted in her ice cream bowl and started to leave, Kayla turned back and looked at the mess, and decided that her Mt. Everest of Ice Cream wasn't tall enough.

"Hey Alfred," she turned to Alfred. "Can you bring that stuff out for me?"

Being a very tolerant man, Alfred was never one to resort any threats. Usually if Kayla did something that constantly got on someone's nerves, she got a threat two hours later. But asking him to bring out all the ice cream toppings and syrups was the straw that broke the camel's back. Ally and I watched as Alfred set down the knife he was using to chop the vegetables, and stared at Kayla.

"Miss Kayla," he said calmly. "I have three words for you: Hansel and Gretel."

Ally and I looked at each other with confused looks, having no idea where Alfred was going with this. Kayla seemed unphased as she took a bite of her ice cream.

"That's two words," she pointed out, her mouth full.

Alfred said nothing as he opened the oven and folded his arms, and that's when we all got the message and the reference. Kayla grinned a little, laughing nervously.

"On second thought," she started walking backwards out of the kitchen. "I'll go get them later. Better yet, I'll clean it up as soon as I'm done studying."

"That's what I thought," Alfred said, closing the oven and going back to chopping vegetables.

Looking at Ally, we both giggled a little bit at Kayla's expense and walked to the dining room, where Kayla already was pulling out her History book.

"You really thought he would bring all that out for you?" I asked, still laughing a bit. "You know he said we were responsible for our own messes."

"I didn't hear that part!" Kayla protested as we all sat down.

"Hey, where's Celia?" Ally asked, getting out her study sheet and sitting down next to her cousin. "She usually helps us out with studying."

At the mention of Celia, I hesitated to answer. I knew Celia's absence of today's weekly study session would also raise questions about what was going on with her since the other night. Ally and Kayla were not ones to let things go. It took them forever to get them to stop asking questions about Batman. Now they hardly ever talk about him. But considering it was Celia, there was no way they were going to let up.

"She's helping out at the animal shelter today," I finally answered. "After that, she's babysitting while her parents are on a date."

I had hoped that my answer would be enough to satisfy my friends...But that would've worked if my friends weren't nosy. Ally and Kayla looked at each other, obviously knowing that I know more than what I told them.

"Is she doing OK?" Ally asked.

"She's doing fine," I immediatly answered. "Why?"

Ally gave me her usual "Are-You-Crazy?" look before continuing.

"She was really freaking out the other night," she explained. "I don't know what got into her."

"Yeah," Kayla agreed with a concerned look. "What was wrong?"

Shrugging, I still tried to avoid the question.

"You guys will have to ask Celia," I said, writing down some answers on my study sheet.

"Why can't you tell us?" Kayla asked.

Getting a bit frustrated, I set my pen down and looked at Kayla.

"Because," I explained. "I don't think I have the right to tell you guys. It's Celia's business."

"_Bullcrap, Chante_!" Kayla nearly shouted.

Ally smacked Kayla's arm when she said "Bullcrap", a freaked out look on her face.

"Shh!" she whispered. "Kayla! Alfred hates it when we say that word!"

Kayla ignored Ally and contined talking to me while Ally glanced quickly over to the kitchen to see if Alfred heard.

"I'm her best friend!" she pointed at herself. "I have every right to know!"

After making sure that Alfred wasn't going to come out and scold us for saying what he considered was a swear word, Ally turned back to Kayla, taking my side.

"Kayla," she started. "She does have a point."

Kayla looked at her cousin like she was nuts and turned to me with the same look, before glancing back and forth at us. I shook my head, trying one more time to have Kayla get off my back about Celia.

"If you wanna know," I said one more time. "You'll have to ask her."

I received a small glare from Kayla.

"Fine," she said, before taking out her cell phone.

It took a few moments for Ally and I to realize that Kayla was about to call Celia. Bad idea. If Kayla called Celia and demanded to know what was going on with her now, then everyone would be stressed out and no one would get any studying done. More importantly, I didn't want Celia to be stressed and have another panic attack.

Reaching over the dining room table from where I sat, I grabbed the cell phone out of Kayla's hands.

"Don't call her **_now_**!" I exclaimed.

Kayla looked at me as if I had finally gone mental.

"Why not?" she asked.

"She'd appreciate it better if there wasn't an audience on the other side of the phone."

For a while, Kayla continued to stare at me. She could tell that I knew more than she did about what was going on with Celia. Ally could tell too. But I wasn't going to say anything to them until I talked to Celia or Bruce about what to do.

"Kayla, trust me," I sighed, trying to get Kayla to stop staring. "...She'll tell you if you ask her. I've no doubt about that."

My friends didn't say a word for a few minutes after that. Awkward silence filled the room. I hated awkward silences, especially if they were caused by me. But at least this silence was less awkward than the ones I had with Harvey Dent...

At that thought, I remembered that the fundraising event was tomorrow. I discreetly made a face at the reminder that I had to spend tomorrow night at a party that was to support Harvey Dent. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wish him all the best in his campaign and when he goes up for re-election in three years. I just don't like being in the same room as the guy. There was something about that smile and how he wants to get to know me just because he knew my parents in the past that makes me cringe a little.

"Something's wrong," Ally's soft voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Isn't there?"

I looked up from my study sheet at this.

"I never said there wasn't," I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Ally shook her head.

"No," she said. "That's not what I meant."

Kayla glanced at her cousin quickly as she scribbled a skull and cross bones on her study sheet.

"OK," she started. "Now you're just being confusing, Ally."

Kayla's spunky cousin just rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Whatever," she waved a hand in dismissal. "You don't get it."

Shrugging, Kayla went back to work on coloring in her drawings while Ally turned to me.

"You know what all this is reminding me of?"

Puzzled, I just put my hands up in a way of saying that I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Last year," Ally began. "Do you remember I came over here after school a week after your accident? You told me the real reason behind your little plot to run away from home."

"What did I tell you originally?" I couldn't remember.

"That Edgar was abusing you and Josh."

"But that was a truth."

"Yeah, but not the whole truth. You never told me he killed your parents. I found that out the hard way before you told me."

While Ally spoke, the memories of last year came back to me in haunting waves of terror, anger, and even guilt. The day I went back to school after my accident, I noticed a bandage on Ally's head with dried blood on it. We never had time to get into what happened to her right away because we were too busy telling my story of what happened to me.

But when I got home from school that day, I asked Bruce if he knew anything about Ally's head injury. With a dark look on his face, my godfather replied that he did know and sat me down at the dining room and explained. While I was being kept hostage in the ruins of the old Arkham Asylum, everyone else, including Edgar, was meeting with the police at the Farris Mansion trying to figure out if I was either dead or alive. Bruce told me that Ally and Nathan were sent upstairs while the adults were talking, but a few minutes later they all heard Nathan running downstairs shouting "No! Get away from her!". One of the maids kept Nathan inside while the grown ups rushed outside to find Ally on the ground with a bloody forehead. Ally kept screaming that Edgar had smashed her head against a nearby tree and threatened her, but grown-ups tend to listen to other grown-ups rather than children.

It did, however, make Bruce and Rachel suspicious. While Bruce did his own investigating, Rachel had gone to Nathan to ask what had happened. Ally was still a bit hysterical at the time to explain. When Nathan told her what he had witnessed from looking out the window that day, Rachel told Bruce and spent the rest of the evening helping Ally's mom take care of Ally and Nathan.

Edgar laying a hand on Ally and threatening her while I was nowhere to be found had made Bruce a little bit more angry than he already was at the time. But he did tell me that I had to thank Ally for her bravery.

The next week after Bruce told me, I invited Ally over after school and told her what had happened and that Edgar had killed my parents.

There's not a day that goes by where I don't feel guilty about what happened to my best friend, though.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, before the silence in the room would become too long to bear.

"It's not your fault..." Ally explained softly. "Look, when you told me, I remember how you sounded and how you acted. You were shaking almost to the point where I could feel those shakes on the couch..."

Ally looked at me more closely, her face more serious.

"I could tell even _talking_ about it was scaring you," she continued. "Then your godfather came in and told me I should probably visit again the next day. I still remember him holding you when I left."

I remembered that day. It took me a long time to talk about Edgar killing my parents without almost having a panic attack. But a lot of support from my godfather and the rest of my friends helped me get through it.

"Celia's acting the same way you did, but worse," Ally finished. "_**Much**_ worse...What's wrong?"

Sighing, I had to realize that Ally had a point. And the last thing I wanted was for her to get injured not only because of something Celia won't talk about, but also because of something I couldn't talk about because of a promise I made.

There was my problem: I promised Celia I wouldn't tell anyone else except for Batman. All I had to do was wait 24 more hours before I can talk to Bruce about Celia's problem. Until then, I was cursed with keeping another secret.

"Look," I tried to put the conversation to bed. "All I can tell you guys is that something freaked her out, she told me, made me promise not to tell you guys- -"

While I was talking, I had happened to cast a glance to where Kayla was, and noticed she was up to her usual antics again. I rolled my eyes with an annoyed sigh.

"- -And Kayla, when are you going to stop copying the answers from our study sheets onto yours?"

Ally snapped her head toward her cousin with a glare and pushed her study sheet away from Kayla's prying eyes. In response to this, Kayla stared at us with an open mouth, like it was actually wrong for us to stop her cheating.

"Come on, guys," she tried to make us see her reason. "You know I don't do so well in History Class. Mr. Destler makes it hard."

"That's because all you do in his class is ask him weird questions to bug him!" Ally snapped.

"No..." Kayla raised a finger to stop her cousin. "I ask stupid questions to get a few laughs from our class. Bugging him is a bonus."

Shaking my head, my lips smushed in a tight corner of my mouth for a disapproved look, I took Kayla's study sheet to see which answers she copied. When I took a look at it, I was confused...

I doubted that Katy Perry crossed the Deleware River in a boat during the Revolutionary War...

...And I seriously doubt that Eggs Benedict was the one who betreayed the American Army...

"Kayla," I started slowly. "I'm gonna quiz you. Who was the president of the Second Continental Congress?"

"Gaston Leroux," Kayla answered immediately. "Why? You know, I think you got it wrong on your study sheet. You put down some dude named John Hancock."

I raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that Kayla was copying answers from either Ally or me, but I knew Ally knew the answer...Wait a minute...

I looked at Ally at a sudden thought, and heard her humming as she erased an answer from her study sheet. When I recognized the tune, I smirked a little, and remembered that I once let her borrow my copy of _Phantom of the Opera_.

Ally and I had a system between us. In return for her teaching me how to dress in latest styles, I let Ally borrow a book for her to read. Her favorite had been Phantom so far. She spent a week or two obsessed with all things related to the book.

Smiling a little, I looked back at Kayla, trying not to laugh.

"Kayla," I said. "Gaston Leroux was a French novelist born in 1868."

"Your point?" Kayla's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"He wasn't alive in the 1700's," I handed Kayla back her study sheet. "And the only thing I know for certain that he wrote was _Phantom Of The Opera_."

Kayla looked at her study sheet, and I could tell from her facial expressions that she was trying to remember where she got that answer.

When she remembered, she glared at Ally. That was when Ally bursted out laughing, her head almost banging on the dining room table from doubling over.

"Oh," Kayla said sarcastically as I let out a few laughs. "You're **_so_** funny, Ally."

"About time you noticed too," Ally said, still giggling. "Really, Kayla, you'll never pass History if you don't study."

"Come on," I moved closer to where my friends sat. "We'll help you."

* * *

Later that night, I was back in the kitchen with Alfred, and he was helping me study for the test, making sure I was ready for Friday. My friends had left earlier after Kayla cleaned up her ice cream mess in the kitchen. Usually on Sunday nights, Bruce and I would sit at the kitchen counter and he'd help me study while Alfred would make us some hot chocolate. Sometimes, we would study in the Bunker whenever Bruce had some work to do, but since he wasn't here tonight, that wasn't the case.

I liked studying with Alfred. Something about it seemed very pleasant. After I had downed my third cup of hot chocolate, studying seemed to be over.

"You seem to be very prepared for this weeks test, Miss Sarah," Alfred smiled at me. "Well done."

"Thanks Alfred," I smiled back as we got up from the counter.

"Now come along and help me with the dishes."

I moved over to the kitchen sink with my dirty dishes, and that when my cell phone started ringing. The chorus of Green Day's **_Holiday_** reached my ears, announcing that Celia was calling me.

"Hang on, Alfred," I quickly put my dishes away. "Celia's calling me."

Another smile crossed Alfred's lips before he got started on the dishes. Out of all my friends that I hung out with, Celia was Alfred's favorite. Every Sunday, Celia always came early for our study groups so she could talk to Alfred and share stories with each other. It was kind of funny sometimes to walk into the kitchen to find a 13-year-old punk girl with purple streaks in her hair talk with an English man in his 80s laughing with one another. Most people would say it's the oddest sight they would ever see.

But those people don't know my friends. Alfred was very open-minded and that was one of the reasons that made him so great.

I answered my phone, wondering how Celia was doing.

"Hey Celia," I said in a chirpy voice.

"Hey Sarah," Celia tried to copy my enthusiasm. "...Um..."

My face fell when I realized that even though Celia sounded like she was trying to sound happy, I could tell that she was still anxious about whether or not the Batman knew about the Man with the Bleeding Smile. Of course he knew, but I didn't know whether or not to tell her if he did or not, so I told her he didn't.

Even lying about talking to Batman made me feel like I had broken enough rules.

"I haven't heard anything yet," I told her, shifting my cell phone to my other ear, and glancing at Alfred quickly. "But I'm sure he'll take care of things, and when he does, we'll know."

"How?" Celia asked.

"Ci, he's not exactly the type to tell people his plan. He's..." I paused for a moment to see how I could describe the Caped Crusader. And let me tell you, sometimes that's not easy. "...More of a man of action than of words."

Celia sighed in distressed on the other end of the phone. I kept my own sigh of anxiety quiet. I had to be patient and strong for Celia at least until Bruce came home and he could investigate.

"You knew from the beginning that getting in touch with him would be impossible," I continued. "But I promise you...Once he knows that something is wrong and it's affecting a friend of mine, he'll take care of it. He'll keep everyone safe."

"Miss Sarah," Alfred called me over to the kitchen sink. "A word."

I glanced over to Alfred and saw the look on his face. His thin lips were almost in a frown, and his aging brown eyes showed a hint of concern and worry. Knowing that he would want to talk about whatever it was that was going on, I decided to cut the conversation short with Celia. I didn't want to, especially now when she needed a friend. But maybe talking to Alfred about Celia's problem would bring me some insight and a bit of that wisdom he always gave.

"I gotta go," I said. "Alfred needs me to help in the kitchen. Hey, listen...Everything's gonna be OK."

"OK," Celia sighed again. "Bye Sarah."

"Bye."

Hanging up, I put my cell phone in the back pocket of my blue jeans and slowly walked over to where Alfred was by the kitchen sink. As I got a dry dish cloth and took the rinsed dishes out of the drying rack and got to work, I could see Alfred glancing at me as he washed the food stains off a plate out of the corner of my eye. There was no denying that he over-heard the conversation between Celia and I, and that made him a bit suspicious. It was so quiet that I almost jumped in surprise when he finally spoke in that soft tone of his.

"Is everything all right with Miss Celia?" he finally asked. "I must admit that I was a bit concerned when she didn't show up."

I couldn't look at Alfred. I was almost afraid to. Even if I tried to get out of the conversation tonight, he'll ask me again in the morning over breakfast. So I took a quiet breath, ready to tell Alfred everything.

"Alfred," I started quietly. "Is this your way of asking me what's going on?"

A hand was placed on my shoulder. That was when I saw the small sad smile on Alfred's face. I tried smiling back.

"I'm just concerned about your friends well-being and safety," he explained. "Master Wayne would be asking the same thing, but more directly."

That was true. If Bruce had over-heard my conversation like Alfred did just now, he'd demand, in his own subtle way, to know what was going on. He'd always give me this look that made me tell him whatever it was he wanted to know. But since it was Alfred asking me, I didn't feel as much pressure.

"OK, um..." I said slowly, before putting away a drinking glass and wiping my hands on the towel I had. "Something happened over the weekend that really, really freaked Celia out."

Taking note of the tone of my voice and my hesistancy to explain, Alfred knew immediately that the issue that involved Celia was sensitive, and stopped working so he could have his full attention focused on what I had to say.

"And that would be?" he asked.

"You know Gambol?" I asked him. "The mob boss?"

Alfred nodded. He knew very well who Gambol was, being more knowledgeable in Bruce's cases against the organized crime cases than me. I took a breath before continuing.

"He and four of his men were murdered two nights ago."

Silence came between Alfred and I as the old man looked at me, the kind where it's so quiet you can feel a lump form in your throat and it makes it a little hard to breathe. Before it got too much to bear, Alfred extended a hand toward the kitchen table, telling me to have a seat. I did so, folding my hands on the wooden table, ready to tell Alfred anything.

"Miss Sarah," Alfred started, exhaling a breath as he sat down next to me. "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying."

Taking in a breath, I began to explain.

"It's not the murders that scared her," I stated. "There was something next to the bodies that did that. Each body had some kind of playing card next to it- - A joker card, actually- - and the guy who murdered Gambol..."

I stopped for a moment, and looked at Alfred, wondering how I should phrase the next part of my explanation. The thing you have to know about Alfred is that, even though he's seen many things in his life, there were many other things that could surprise him. On occasion, Bruce would have to sugarcoat some case stories to Alfred because the cold truth could leave the old man shaken and shocked to the core. I didn't want Alfred to know the dirty details of the murders of Gambol and his men. Bruce may have already told him, but I didn't want him to hear it again. Alfred had such a sweet soul, and the last thing I wanted was to destroy even a bit of it.

"Did something to his face..." I finally explained before continuing. "At first I thought she was overreacting and getting worked up over nothing, but do you remember a few months ago when those four neighborhood bosses were killed down Celia's sreet?"

Alfred nodded, obviously remembering what happened.

"The same thing happened to them," I explained, my voice getting more clear and confidant about what I was talking about. "Alfred, I think there's a serial killer loose somewhere in the city and he's going after the Mob. He's trying to send some kind of message to the public..." I shook my head. "...And it's not good."

All of a sudden, I noticed the look on Alfred's face. Once in a while, there would be a twinkle in his eye, and everytime there was a twinkle in Alfred's aging eyes, that meant that he was remembering something. Confused, I stared at him. I knew he listened to every word I said, and it was a serious conversation, but obviously I did something to make him get that twinkle in his eye.

"What is it?" I asked.

The soft tone in my voice broke Alfred out of his trance. When he saw my confused look, he smiled a bit, and took my hand in his.

"It's terrible that this is frightening your friend, Miss Sarah," he explained that he was listening and that he did sympathize with my friend. "Celia's very lucky to have a friend like you..."

Alfred then held up a finger to make sure I was listening to him this time.

"But, for a moment," he continued to explain. "The way you were talking and how well you articulated your thoughts reminded me of someone I had the honor of knowing. It was almost as if I was sitting right next to her...Your mother."

A smile came on Alfred's lips then as I smiled back, blushing and looking down a little. One of the highest compliments that I will ever receive in my life was when someone would tell me how much I acted like my mother. Once in a while, I'd get a little bit of my father too. But growing up, I always noticed that there was a certain kind of grace that my mother had in all that she did that I always wished that I could inherit that trait of hers.

Those compliments always came from the people that mattered most in my life and I never took them for granted.

When I looked back up from my blushing, Alfred patted my hand and got up to continue working on the dishes.

"I suggest you tell Master Bruce what is happening with your friend when he comes home tomorrow," he gave his advice. "In the meantime, it's nearing ten o'clock. Time for bed."

After casting a quick glance on the oven's digital clock, I silently agreed with Alfred that it was getting very late for me to be up, considering I had school in the morning. I decided that I would pick up my schoolwork in the morning and use my breakfast time to study more.

"Good night Alfred," I smiled at Alfred.

"Good night, Miss Sarah," Alfred smiled back.

I started to make my way out of the kitchen, but turned back at the realization that I forgot something. Alfred looked up from the sink in time to find me hugging him, and he hugged me back.

"Thanks for listening," I said.

"I'll always be here to listen, Miss Sarah," Alfred promised softly.

* * *

Going to sleep wasn't exactly something I was looking foward to these past few nights. For the last couple of days I had found ways to delay my arrival into the world of wonderful sleep. I had snuck in some sodas and snacks and hid them under my bed while Alfred was supervising Kayla clean up her ice cream mess in the kitchen earlier that day and downloaded some music I could listen to.

It's not like I was trying to stay awake all night; I knew sooner or later I wouldn't be able to stay awake and would fall asleep.

But like I said: I wasn't looking forward to sleeping because of my nightmares.

So far, I had managed to stay up until midnight without Alfred catching me. He usually went to bed around 10, unless he was helping Bruce with something important. But Bruce wasn't home, and not much needed to be done around the Penthouse.

I must've been the only one awake in the whole entire building. The phrase "It-Was-So-Quiet-You-Could-Hear-A-Pin-Drop" came to mind. In my case, it was so quiet a small bell chime from my computer sounded from across the room.

At the time, I was sitting on my bed, writing in my black leather-bound journal. Bruce had given it to me last year, hoping it would help me cope with the secrets I was asked to keep since I couldn't tell any of my friends. From that moment he gave me the journal, I developed a passion for writing that Bruce never knew about. Sometimes I would write poems, short stories, or even write down little quotes that my friends would say that I found funny or inspiring.

That journal, an inanimate object, had to be my best friend in the whole world, because it knew my secrets, and as long as it remained in the safe in my closet, it will never tell my secrets.

But I was pulled out of my writing when I heard that bell chime on my computer. I must've left my chat status online, and someone was trying to talk to me. I walked over to the computer and sat down, about to tell whoever was chatting with me that I was gonna go to bed, but I stopped when I saw Celia's screen name.

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _U still awake?_

Concerned, I scooted my chair closer to the computer and started talking with Celia.

**SarahC0718:** _I'm just writing in my journal. It's almost midnight. What's up?_

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _Can't sleep. Bad dreams._

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _:(_

Looks like I wasn't the only one who was having trouble wanting to sleep. I sighed. You'd think that having someone with the same problems that you were having would make it easier to bear, but considering the problem, I'd rather Celia wouldn't have trouble sleeping.

I typed back a response, trying to tell Celia that she wasn't alone.

**SarahC0718:** _I know how that is. I'm sorry Ci._

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _It's OK. I've got music on to calm me down._

That made me smile, not to mention perk me up a little at the thought that someone else had the same idea at keeping awake with music.

**SarahC0718:** _What are you listening to?_

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _Phantom of the Opera_

**SarahC0718:** _We were talking about that earlier today! lol_

**NiGhTcHiLd1931:** _What is it with our little group and people in masks?_

That question made me think about how to answer. Before Batman came to Gotham, the city was in a great depression: Criminals running around and getting away with what they could take, not being held accountable for any of their wrong-doings. When he showed up, it brought hope. Not only to the adults, but to the kids as well.

All my friends looked up to the Batman. Everytime Gordon would turn on the signal, they would see the bat in the dark night sky, and they would know that they were being kept safe. It calmed us; soothed us to a state where we knew everything was going to be all right and that tomorrow would be a brighter day.

I answered Celia's question with a response that I felt dignified about what I was pretty sure we all felt.

**SarahC0718:** _We know that they watch over us._

* * *

**_(*The author tries to sneak out of the room and almost makes it until her muse catches her by the back of her collar*_**

**_Bruce Wayne: "Where the hell have you been? You've got a week left until the movie comes out and Joker hasn't even shown up yet! You are one. Slow. Writer!"_**

**_Me: *cowering* "Dude! I had work! My coworker got herself fired, and I've been taking double shifts! I have no life at the moment! I'm quitting next week!"_**

**_Bruce Wayne: *blinks in confusion* "OK, but that still doesn't leave you off the hook! Have you been working on this?"_**

**_Me: "I have! My computer crashed again too! I had to get it fixed!"_**

**_Bruce Wayne: "You left Michael the Archangel hanging again while you were collaborating with him on ideas for the third story! You are one lousy writer!"_**

**_Me: "Hello? I just said that the computer crashed! It crashed the next morning! Not to mention, my brother got pnemonia so he was hospitalized, some idiots keep starting wild fires in the mountains next door and I had to prepare for evacuation, I had to get some stuff done for school, and I punched a guy for stalking me! Get off my back Wayne! *to the reviewers* I'm really sorry I've been slow on updating, guys. Life keeps getting in the way. And a real personal apology to Michael the Archangel. My computer kept crashing. I got a new one, and I'm ready to bounce off ideas until we get a full idea of what we're dealing with next week. Please forgive me."_**

**_Bruce Wayne: "I wouldn't...Review everyone!")_**


	13. Beginning Of Chaos & Pearls Of Wisdom

_**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"**_

* * *

Staying up as long as I did last night gave me a price I had to pay:

About 3 hours of sleep, an aching back, a fuzzy head, and Alfred demanding that I get out of bed and get ready for school.

It felt like I had just gotten to sleep before I felt Alfred's hand on my shoulder, trying to shake me awake.

"Miss Sarah," he sounded strict in his tone. "I won't ask you again to get out of bed."

With sleepy eyes, I looked at Alfred from underneath the mangled sheets of my bed, almost sending a little glare, irritated that I had to get up now. After a second, I roller over onto my other side, my back facing the butler.

"Come on, Alfred," I mummbled, pulling the covers over my head. "Five more minutes."

"Miss Sarah..." Alfred started again.

"_What?_"

I was getting frustrated by the second due to lack of sleep, and it showed in my voice. But Alfred never let that get to him. I swear, why can't he just give me just a few more minutes of sleep?

"...You overslept," Alfred finished as I heard him walk out the room.

...I guess there was my answer.

"What?" I immediately got out of bed, ripping the covers away from my body.

Without another word, I made a dash for my closet and got out my uniform and rushed to the bathroom. I have never been late for school before. Alfred always made sure of that. But when I took a look at the clock, I saw that it was just 7:30. It took me about 30 minutes alone to get ready before I headed out the door to make it to school in time by 8:00.

After struggling to get my tie around my neck, and tucking in my blouse into my skirt, I grabbed my school's official jacket off of my desk chair, and tried to get my roller-blades by the closet only to find that they weren't there.

If there's one thing that got me to school faster than my own two feet, besides Bruce's car when he would drive me to school, it was my roller-blades. They were essential to my getting to school on time and they were missing.

Not good. Not good at all.

In a bit of a panic, I rushed downstairs, trying to pull my hair into a cute ponytail and not slip on the steps at the same time. Alfred was coming out of the kitchen with my backpack and setting it down on the ground beside the staircase.

"Alfred!" I neared the end of the staircase, finishing up my hair. "Have you seen my rollerblades?"

Ever prepared, as soon as I had asked the whereabouts of my skates, Alfred held them up from where they were sitting on the couch. I sighed in relief.

"And they come with an apple and granola bar for breakfast," he quipped as he gave them to me.

"Alfred," I started putting on my roller-blades, still standing and trying to balance myself. "What would I do without you?"

Alfred chuckled a little. There were many answers to that question.

"You'd still be sleeping in," he started his list. "You would be even more late for school, no one would remind you of tonight's fundraiser and that your birthday is tomorrow, and I also wouldn't be here to tell you to take a coat."

I already had my school jacket on! Why did I need to take another coat?

"But it's not even _cold_ out!" I protested as Alfred got out a black coat for me to wear.

"Ah!" Alfred held a finger at me before helping me into the coat, telling me he didn't want to hear a word of complaint out of me. "No 'buts'. Now hurry along! You'll be late!"

After shifting my coat onto my shoulders, I grabbed my backpack, and headed straight for the elevator door.

"Is Bruce home yet?" I asked, remembering that my godfather came home today.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard from him yet," Alfred answered quickly as I got in the elevator and pressed the down button. "I'm sure he'll be home when you get back from school. Go on!"

I waved goodbye before the elevator doors closed on me. After impatiently waiting for me to get down to the ground floor, I bolted out of the elevator, skating through the lobby and out the doors of Gotham Century Towers and headed straight for school.

Gotham City in the mornings was very busy. All types and manners of people were out and about trying to get to work, get shopping done, grab that very much needed cup of coffee, and whatever else needed to get done. It gave the city I lived in a beat and a breath of life. Not one beat was skipped and not one breath was held.

My roller-blading to school added to the hustle and bustle of people on the streets and sidewalks. With the fast pace I was going, it was a little difficult to get past people quick enough in order for me to get to school on time, but I would manage.

If you were ever one of those people that found it annoying when some kid just pops out of nowhere and makes you irriated when they accidentally bump into you, let me be the first to extend my apology.

I am the kid that bumps into the businessman on an important cell phone call and makes him drop his phone.

I am the annoying little brat that pushes the scalding hot cappucino onto the silk white blouse of the platinum blonde heiress with the dog in her handbag.

And I am also the reckless teenager that jumps over construction site barriers just to get a shortcut to where I'm going and a thrill of doing something that's mildly dangerous.

All these are on accident, of couse...Except the part about the construction site, but the rest were completely unintentional.

On that crisp Monday morning, however, my flights of havoc onto the innocent bystanders of Gotham ended.

I turned a corner, continuing to skate as fast as I could to get to school, and an uneven sidewalk of all things delays me. With the pace I was going, I came crashing down onto the concrete sidewalk, my backpack almost going over my head.

Some people noticed my crash, but didn't bother to help me up. Others were kind enough to ask if I was OK. At the moment, I wasn't worried about if I was hurt. I was more worried about getting to school.

I took a look at one of my roller-blades, and found that two of the wheels in the front had broken off.

"Great..." I muttered, getting up off the ground and sitting down at a table outside a coffee shop.

With a bit of frustration, I took off my rollerblades and switched to my shoes as quickly as I could. I knew those skates were getting worn out and old, but I didn't think they would break today of all days.

OK, I had to think.

I had ten minutes to get to school, and it's a fifteen minute walk there. The skates could've gotten me there in five minutes, eight tops. I could run, but I had a huge backpack full of homework and books to hold me back.

No doubt about it, I was going to be late for school. Most likely with detention too, but I wasn't so sure about that.

Before I could even pray for a miracle, I happened to look up to see a squad car outside of the coffee shop. Maybe one of the cops that used to work with my parents were inside, and I could ask for a ride. Hitching up my backpack and rollerblades in hand, I walked quickly into the coffee shop.

And as I saw who was at the front counter paying for a black coffee, amidst the other customers waiting in line, I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face.

"Jim!" I shouted to get his attention.

Lt. James Gordon was the head of the Major Crimes Unit and the man who was in charge of the Bat signal. But he was more than that to me. He trained my mother and father personally when they entered the Gotham City Police Academy, where they became fast friends. He was the one who came to get me when they died. I hadn't seen him around much this past year because of the changes in our lives, but I always knew he'd keep an eye out for me.

When he heard his name called, Jim looked toward where I was by the door and his whole face brightened, just like I remembered. I quickly walked up to him as he started laughing.

"Sarah Chante!" he engulfed me in the biggest hug I ever received from him. "How are you, sweetheart?" The hug broke apart as he took a good look at me. "Look at you, growing up fast. I hardly recognized you. How are you?"

With a wincing smile on my face and a shrug, I held up my roller-blades, showing him the damage, but laughing at the same time, happy that I ran into an old family friend.

"I'm running late to school," I explained. "But other than that, I'm great."

At the sight of my roller-blades and at the mention of school, Gordon smiled a bit, and started to guide me outside the coffee shop.

"Come on," he said, opening the passenger side door in the front seat of the squad car for me with a smile. "I'll give you a ride. Like old times."

* * *

A few minutes later, Jim had parked the police car outside of Gotham City Private. I really couldn't believe my luck, but I was really glad that I ran into Jim. Growing up, he'd always give me a ride to school when my parents were pulling all-night stake outs, and those were some of the best memories I had as a kid. Sometimes, he would let me turn on the siren and we'd go and get some donuts for breakfast. It was nice to revisit those memories. I gave a smile to Jim as I put my roller-blades in my backpack.

"Thanks for the ride, Jim," I said in a very grateful voice.

Jim smiled at me through, his lips curling sweetly underneath that bushy mustache of his.

"No problem, sweetheart," he said before pushing his glasses up the brim of his nose and reaching into his pocket. "Actually, I have something for you that I was going to drop off at your house later today."

"What is it?" I asked excitedly, already knowing that it was a birthday present.

Jim chuckled at my enthusiasm.

"Hang on a second," he said as he pulled out a black velvet box from his pocket. "Now, I know your birthday isn't until tomorrow..."

That was when Jim stopped for a second to look at me. He was smiling sadly. I was about to ask what was wrong, but he took my hand and put the box in my hand before he explained.

"...But I found this in your father's old desk down at the station. I think it belongs to you."

I opened the box and found a police officer's badge resting on a small cushion inside. This wasn't just any badge that Jim was giving me - - This was my father's badge: The one he would wear on special occasions. Having this with me almost felt like a piece of my father was always going to be with me.

I smiled and looked at Jim with a soft smile on my face before I gave him a hug.

"Thanks Jim," I said.

Suddenly, the static that was on the police scanner came to a sudden stop and a woman's voice took over, calling for Jim.

"Lieutenant," she started. "This is Detective Ramirez. We have a situation. What's your location?"

With a sigh, Jim was the first to break the hug, giving me a winced smile.

"Excuse me," he apologized before reaching for the police scanner's walkie talkie. "This is Gordon. What seems to be the problem, Detective?"

"You're gonna wanna see this, Jim," Ramirez advised. "We're waiting for you back at the MCU."

"Copy that. I'll be there in five."

Smiling a bit, I shrugged. Some things haven't changed since last year, and for once, that was a good thing.

"Duty calls," I said.

Jim smiled once more as I got out of the police car.

"Happy birthday, Sarah," he said.

"Thanks again, Jim," I smiled before closing the door.

Before the squad car could even take off, I started running as fast as I could up the steps of Gotham City Private, past the other students who were running as late as I was. Bursting inside, I saw the clock on the wall of the huge entry way of the school. I only had two minutes left. Good thing my first class was on the ground floor.

But in order to make it there on time, I had to run faster than I usually do in gym class.

I practically slid to my locker, spinning the combination lock furiously before opening it and throwing my backpack inside. Grabbing my books for my English class, it was almost a struggle to keep all my papers together but I held them tightly against my chest, kicked my locker door to a close with my foot, and dashed toward the other side of the school to make it to class.

To make a long story short: I made it, but not without embarassment. Just as the bell rang and right when I entered the classroom, I tripped over my own two feet and went sprawling on the ground. My classmates started laughing a bit, but I tried to pay no attention to that as I gathered the books off the floor and made sure my skirt wasn't showing anything else embarassing. Besides, I didn't care if I was getting laughed at. I got to class in time, and that's all that mattered.

After I picked myself up and straightened my uniform out, I found myself looking at my English teacher, Ms. Milan. She was my favorite teacher, and she also taught my music classes. While the laughter from the rest of class started to die down, she gave a small smirk, a twinkle in her eyes as she looked at me behind her frameless glasses.

"Nice of you to join us on time, Miss Chante," I could hear the smile behind her voice as I went to my seat and she marked me on time.

I sat down at my desk in front of Kayla's desk, and I could feel her turning to the boys that were sitting in the back of the class.

"Pay the piper, losers," she smirked triumphantly at them. "I win."

I looked behind me to find some of the boys groaning in disappointment with scowls on their faces and begrudgingly handing Kayla money as well as other tokens. Confused, I looked at Ally, who sat at the desk next to mine, and asked with my eyes for an explanation, needing some context as to what was going on. All she did was roll her eyes in annoyance, telling me quietly that it was just Kayla being Kayla, before she buried her focus in her _Gotham Teen_ magazine that was hidden behind one of her school books.

Ms. Milan took notice of Kayla's antics and frowned a bit, setting down her roll book on her desk.

"Miss March," she sighed in both distress and annoyance. "How many times have I told you gambling on school grounds is against the rules?"

Kayla thought about how to answer for just a second before replying.

"Really," she gave her rebuttal in a careful tone of voice. "I prefer to call it investing..." She stopped for a moment to think again before continuing. "And you told me about 8 times this month."

Ally put her head in her palm in shame as some of the classmates giggled at Kayla's witty answer, obviously embarassed to be related to her cousin at the moment. Ms. Milan didn't reply to that remark right away. Instead, she took out the infamous pink notepad out of her desk, and started writing down some information.

Everyone knew that the pink notepad was used for detention purposes. Kayla's so familiar with detention so much, the pink notepad and her were practically friends.

"I think lunch detention will do you some good," Ms. Milan said, walking up to Kayla and handing her the pink slip.

Kayla just shrugged like it was no big deal, smiled at Ms. Milan innocently, and took the pink slip. I shook my head, my eyes closed.

Another Monday at school, and Kayla had already gotten lunch detention. Thirty seconds after the bell rang too. That had to be a new record of some sort.

Morning announcements came on, and Kayla took this oppurtunity to whisper to Ally and I while everyone else was distracted by what was going to be served for lunch today.

"You know," she started, sounding like she was completely full of herself. "She says that every week, but it's never really done me good at all."

"No _**duh**_!" I whispered back. "This is the 15th time this month you've gotten detention! What were you betting on anyway?"

"Whether or not you'd be late," Ally said in annoyance before going back to her magazine.

I looked at Kayla, eyebrows furrowed and my mouth hanging open a little. She just kept on smiling proudly.

"_Really_?" I asked, surprised. "Out of all the things you're willing to bet on, you bet on **_that_**? Are you **_that_** bored?"

Kayla just let out a breath of pride, still grinning.

"Fourty-six bucks and two backstage passes to the next LMFAO concert," she told me her winnings. "Have I mentioned how much I _love_ our school?"

Suddenly, all of us heard a phone going off. About eighty percent of the class went to their pockets on instinct, thinking it was their own cell phone. I only reached for my cell phone in my jacket pocket to quickly turn the ringer off while everyone was distracted as to whose cell phone was playing Pussycat Doll's **_When I Grow Up_**.

"Whose phone is ringing?" Ms. Milan demanded to know in a stern voice.

Everyone in our class practically knew each other's cell phone ringtones. Ally, Kayla, and I knew immediately who the ringtone belonged to.

None other than Haley Kingston.

I mentioned earlier in our story that Haley didn't think that school rules apply to her. After Ms. Milan asked about the cell phone, Haley seemed to ignore that question and took out her cell phone to answer a text like it was no big deal.

From where I sat in the classroom, it looked like it was different than the one I busted her in gym class with. How many phones did that evil witch have?

Ms. Milan noticed Haley and her cell phone immediately, walked over to where she was, and took away the device before Haley could type another LOL.

"I'll be taking that, Miss Kingston," Ms. Milan said.

"But I just bought it yesterday, you old crow!" Haley took immediate offense to her cell phone being taken away.

It was that kind of talk that made Ally, Kayla, and I look at each other with wide eyes before shrinking into our desk seats at once. Haley obviously crossed the line way too prematurely. Ms. Milan, who had to be the nicest teacher in the whole school, was no way an old crow. She was barely in her thirties. Telling her she was old in the same disrespectful manner Haley showed was completely out of line.

But Ms. Milan was also a gracious woman, as well as firm. She was what you called an iron fist in a velvet glove. She stared at Haley through the brim of her glasses with a stern look.

"Perhaps you'll rethink your attitude in lunch detention with Miss March," she went back to the front of the class.

The class quietly pursed their lips and raised their eyebrows in surprise before looking down at their desks, amazed at how well Ms. Milan handled Haley Kingston. Ally and I looked back at Kayla to find her with a scowl on her face. Apparently, spending lunch detention with Haley Kingston was not going to be something she would look forward to.

Kayla slouched in her seat, arms folded across her chest.

"I take it back," she grumbled. "Our school is hell on earth."

* * *

School seemed to go awfully slow that day. I was anxious to hear back from Alfred on whether or not Bruce was home so I kept checking my phone discreetly every so often in class. So far, there was no response. I had texted Alfred after English class in the girls bathroom, asking him if he would text me as soon as Bruce got home. Alfred texted back, saying he would, and told me not to have my cellphone with me in class, or else I would get lunch detention with Kayla and Haley.

Later that day, Gotham City's rumor mill and news cycle had reached the ear's of the faculty at Gotham City Private. Something big had happened.

I was in Study Hall at the time, one of the very few classes I took that didn't have my friends with me. Ally was somewhere stuck in a computer class while Kayla was probably in Ms. Rose's office, trying to make up a story as to why she was about to put a white rat she stole from one of the Science classrooms to terrorize the cheerleading squad in the gym's locker room.

Study Hall for me was usually in the library, my favorite place in the whole school. It was nice and quiet, and very few people were in it studying.

While I was busy trying to figure out a math problem, I happed to glance over to where the school librarian and the janitor were talking by the front counter. Obviously the topic of discussion was very interesting, given the animation on both of their faces. I wanted to know what they were talking about, but it was rude to go up to two grown-ups and ask what they were talking about. It didn't seem polite to do that. So I tapped the 10th grade student next to me. When she and her guy friend looked up at me, I glanced at them before glancing at the faculty.

"What's up with the teachers?" I asked with curiousity.

The older students looked at the librarian and the janitor and then back at me. It was clear that they knew more than I did. The 10th grade guy started explaining.

"I hear it has to do with something political," he explained in a quiet voice, respecting the sanctity of the library. "Everyone's freaking out about it. People are saying it's one of the greatest or craziest that could happen in this town."

"What's happening?"

The 10th grade girl glanced again at the librarian and the janitor and turned to me, talking in a low voice as to not get caught for talking too.

"You know who Harvey Dent is?" she asked.

Kids my age obviously weren't affliated with Gotham City's district attorney like me. In fact, I don't think kids my age took as much interest in the local politics as I did. I would have said that I did know him, but that would have brought on a whole different type of conversation away from what I really wanted to know.

"I heard of him," I kind of lied.

The 10th grade girl nodded, buying my lie and thinking that I knew as much as the classmates my age did - - Almost completely nothing. She continued to explain.

"He's prosecuting a bunch of the mob members right now," she said. "Around five hundred of them. Maybe more."

"_What_?" I almost shouted.

At my sudden outburst, the librarian turned away from her conversation with the janitor to shush me. I winced a little, mouthing "Sorry" to her, before turning back to the upper classmen.

"At o_nce_?" I whispered, totally surprised. "Can they do that?"

"Apparently," the 10th grade girl shrugged.

I couldn't believe it. Harvey Dent prosecuting around five hundred members of the mob at once? How was he able to do that? When was he able to do that?

At that moment- -and I hate admitting this part- -I actually gained a little respect for the District Attorney. Prosecuting the mob at once took a lot of courage and a pinch of insanity. He must have found some trick in the law books that allowed him to do such a great act.

"Whoa," the 10th grade guy sounded impressed. "No wonder the faculty is going nuts."

"Yeah," the girl agreed. "Some guy told Dent some of the mob's secrets from what I hear. But what I want to know is what got him to do that in the first place."

While they spoke, I kind of smiled knowingly to myself.

I suppose the guy who blabbed the mob's secret had a little..._persuasion_ from an outside source.

"I think I know a good explanation..." I said to myself before turning back to my homework.

* * *

After Study Hall was lunch time, and considering Kayla was probably in hell being stuck in lunch detention with Haley, Ally and I decided to eat our lunch in the Performing Arts Auditorium. Sometimes during lunch, students who were in music classes took this time to practice in here while they ate. I took the time to check my cell phone to see if Alfred texted me back after hearing about Dent prosecuting the mob during Study Hall.

So far, no word.

"Weird," I said to myself.

"What's up?" Ally heard me as she ate one of her potato chips.

"Nothing," I put my cell phone back in my pocket as we sat down near the front row, our food in our laps. "Alfred was supposed to text me when Bruce got home. He should've been back this morning."

Ally shrugged at this.

"He's probably a bit delayed," she tried to reassure me. "Maybe his boat is a little slow."

"What boat?" I asked, confused.

Ally looked at me with her usual "Are-You-Crazy?" face, but explained anyway.

"The boat he took out with the entire Moscow Ballet..." she stalled, waiting to see if I could remember.

I should've known...

Bruce always comes up with some alibi to cover up his Batman adventures. And let me tell you, he really goes all out when it comes to alibi's. Going on a yacht trip with the entire Moscow Ballet was a classic move for a billionaire playboy. But even Bruce's alibi's can be embarassing for me.

That explains Rache's disappointed look when I asked her how the ballet date with Harvey Dent was...

"Oh yeah," I pretended like I already knew. "That."

Ally looked at me while I pretended to be focused more on what I was eating, hoping the subject would drop. It did, but not entirely...

"You didn't know, did you?" she asked.

"What do _you_ think?" I asked her.

Ally laughed a bit and looked at the stage to where music was coming from. Tyler Jameston and another student were on stage, practicing for the school's talent show that was in a week or two. I tried to not look at him. I was already embarassed at leaving him hanging on the last time we talked, and I was still kind of believing that he liked Haley Kingston.

I will say this, he was very skilled at playing the guitar. Every pluck of the strings of the acoustic guitar that he held in his hands released beautiful notes that flowed in a pure and unearthly melody. It made me feel happily lost in another world, and I couldn't help but tap my foot to the beat of the music.

"Nice guitar playing, Tyler!" Ally complimented loudly.

Tyler looked up from his music, stopping and smiling, feeling proud of his talent.

"Thanks!" he shouted back from the stage.

He took this time to make sure the tuning on the guitar was correct...Which allowed Ally to try and push me towards Tyler yet again.

"Cute **_and_** musical," she said with a giggling smile. "I like this guy."

I shook my head. I knew exactly what she was getting at.

"Then why don't you ask him out?" I challenged her, hoping to throw her off.

Ally sighed dreamily at this.

"My heart belongs to another," she replied in a far-off voice.

"Ally," I rolled my eyes. "No matter how many times you say that, it doesn't change the fact that you're not Nick Jonas's girlfriend."

I could feel a glare coming at me from Ally's eyes, but I didn't care. What was she going to do? It's not like she was going to get revenge on me...

"Hey Tyler!" Ally shouted towards the stage. "Do you need a singer? 'Cause Sarah can sing!"

Wait a minute. _**What did she just do?**_

Snapping my head up towards Ally, I faced her with wide eyes, and smacked her arm. _**Was she crazy?**_

"I hate you!" I whispered to her through gritted teeth.

"This is what you get for crushing my dreams," Ally said to me in a superior tone.

At a loss for words, I just stared at my best friend, not believeing what she had just done. This was something I could expect from Kayla, but _Ally_? _Seriously_?

"Actually," Tyler started. "I already partnered up with Haley, but Sarah can help me practice. I don't know where Haley is."

"Awesome!" Ally said excitedly before turning to me. "Get over there!"

"You suck!" I whispered to her as I got up.

"Love you too, Sarah."

I swear, Ally was going to pay for this...later though, when I think of a good revenge to play on her. I might have to get advice from Kayla on how to do that.

Dragging myself up towards the stage from the left, Tyler gave me a smileas he handed me the music.

"You know this song?" he asked.

I took a look at the sheet music, and found that I did know the song. It was Demi Lovato's **_Skyscraper_**. Considering the talent show was to celebrate Gotham City's progressing rise over crime, it was the perfect song. It would definitely win first prize.

"Yeah," I nodded, sitting down next to Tyler.

"OK," Tyler started to explain, pointing his finger at an area on the music. "I sing this part first here - -" He moved to point to another area. "- -Then you come in here, and then the rest of the parts we're gonna sing together. Got any questions?"

I have read sheet music before, being a music student myself, so it seemed pretty easy enough. I just hoped my voice didn't crack in the middle of the song.

Shaking my head to say that I didn't have any questions, I let out a breath, preparing myself for the worse, or maybe even the best, to come.

Tyler started playing the guitar while his other friend moved to where the percussion instruments were. I tried to focus on a spot that was on the far side of the Performing Arts Auditorium. The lights on the stage were blocking my concentration, so I just closed my eyes, and allowed myself to get lost in the music and the rivers of the melody as Tyler began to sing.

**Skies are crying, I am watching,**  
**Catching tear drops in my hands.**  
**Only silence, as it's ending,**  
**Like we never had a chance.**  
**Do you have to make me feel like**  
**There's nothing left of me?**

He stopped at one note, waiting for me to continue. I just took a deep breath, and kept my eyes closed, trying to draw emotion to my part of the song, and continued the song so Tyler can keep on playing.

_You can take everything I have._  
_You can break everything I am._  
_Like I'm made of glass..._  
_Like I'm made of paper..._

I could feel it. The emotion. The feeling you get when you're trying to tell someone that they can do whatever they want to screw you over, but you weren't going to back down. Not now. Not ever. I opened my eyes, unafraid to keep them closed anymore, ready to show the growing conviction I had inside of me.

_Go on and try to tear me down._  
_I will be rising from the ground,_  
_Like a skyscraper..._

Percussion started to come into the song now. I couldn't help but smile at the faint tap of the tambourine on the beat in the background. It was adding more life to the song.

_Like a skyscraper..._

At a sideways glance, I saw Tyler taking a quick glance at me at me...And he was smiling. He was actually smiling. Did he like my singing? Oh, I really hoped so...

He started the second verse, and I started to feel a little more confidant.

**As the smoke clears, I awaken,**  
**And untangle you from me.**

My smile grew bigger. This is the part we were singing together, adding harmony.

**_Would it make you feel better_**  
**To watch me while I bleed?**  
**_All my windows still are broken_**  
**But I'm standing on my feet.**

I took another deep breath. This song I was singing with him was actually taking my mind off things.

_You can take everything I have._  
_You can break everything I am._  
_Like I'm made of glass..._

Tyler came in for a bit, adding a bit of flair to the song.

**Ahh-Ahh...**

That made me smile more, and I continued singing, following his lead since he knew the nature of this song better than I did.

_Like I'm made of paper..._**(Ahh-Ahh...)**  
_Go on and **try to tear me down.**_  
_I will be **rising from the ground.**_  
_Like a skyscraper..._**(Ahh-Ahh...)**  
_Like a skyscraper..._**(Ahh-Ahh...)**

Tyler took over the bridge for a bit, the feeling of the words mixed in with his guitar and the percussion in the background creating a beautiful power that no one else in the world could match.

**Go run, run, run.**  
**I'm gonna stay right here,**  
**And watch you disappear.**  
**Oh, ey...**

I was getting carried away with the beautiful power the music was creating. My voice got louder, more firm...More with feeling...

_Go run, run, run._  
_Yeah, it's a long way down._  
_But I am closer to the clouds up here..._

There was a slight pause in the music just before Tyler continued. In those short few seconds, I found a similarity between two of my favorite things: Music and flying...

**You can take everything I have.**  
**You can break everything I am.**  
**Like I'm made of glass...**  
**Like I'm made of paper...**

...They both allowed you to freely soar.

_Go on and_ **_try to tear me down._**  
_I will be **rising from the ground,**_  
_Like a skyscraper..._**(Ahh-Ahh...)**  
_Like a skyscraper..._**(Ahh-Ahh...)**

At this point, Tyler and I looked at each other with smiles...And there was something there. Something that lit a spark. I don't know what it was, but it was there...

...And that was when I finally admitted to myself that I really was getting a crush on Tyler Jameston.

My first crush.

**Ahh-Ahh...**_(Like a skyscraper...)_  
**Ahh-Ahh...**_(Like a skyscraper...)_

After playing a few more measures to end the song, Tyler finally stopped, and smiled, very likely that he approved of my voice. I knew he couldn't keep his eyes off me, and I knew I was blushing but I didn't want to turn away. Some sort of force kept me from doing that.

And I didn't want it to stop.

"Oh my gosh..." I heard Ally speak from the front row.

"Pretty good huh?" Tyler asked, very proud of the performance.

"...Oh my gosh, Sarah..."

OK, Ally was ruining the moment. I should've asked her to make herself scarce before I helped Tyler out with practicing his song. Rolling my eyes, I turned to my friend. She was going to pay for this anyway.

"Ally," I started as I made my way towards the steps off the stage. "You've heard me sing before. I don't see what the big deal- -"

When I saw the look on Ally's face, I stopped.

Something was wrong...

...Something was_ very_, **_very_ **wrong.

I had never seen Ally look the way she did. Her eyes were filled with terror. She looked completely mortified. Her hand was covering her mouth in shock, and she was staring at me while gripping her cell phone. It looked like she had gotten a text. Maybe that's what made her look the way she did.

But the look she was giving me while shaking her head sorrowfully made me worried, confused and scared.

Something was very wrong, and I didn't like it already.

"What's wrong?" I was afraid to ask.

Ally removed her hand from her mouth, and held it in a way like she was just about to calm me down.

"Sarah," she whispered, her voice almost cracking with worry. "I'm _so_ sorry..."

I held my hands out, confused. Nothing she was saying was making any sense, like Celia a few nights ago.

...But then the worse case scenarios started to creep into my mind. My heart started to pound as Ally started to explain carefully.

"Kayla just texted me from detention," she said slowly. "One of the teachers has the news on..." Ally put her hand over her mouth again, trying to stop the impending tears, her voice cracking more. "I'm sorry Sarah..."

I silently prayed to God and any angels who were listening to my heart's fear that it wasn't going to be what I thought it would be.

Please...I don't need to go through this again...

Ally took a deep, shaky breath, still shaking her head.

Please don't say it, Ally. Don't. Please don't...

"They found Batman's body hanging outside City Hall."

...No...

...No...

...She didn't say that. She _couldn't_ have just said that.

I had to be having another nightmare. My heart seemed to have stopped for more than a second, and I couldn't breathe. I wasn't even sure I had any conscious thought or was even moving.

But one thing I did think that kept running through my mind over and over again a mile a minute was this.

If Alfred did not text me to let me know Bruce was home...

And if Ally was saying that they found Batman's body hanging outside of City Hall...

Then that had to be Bruce...

...And he was dead.

...Bruce was _**dead**_.

No...

..._No_...

"Sarah?"

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't be...

"_**No!**_" I instantly shouted, breaking into a run.

Life instantly coming back to me, and adrenaline suddenly pumping into my veins, I pushed past Ally as fast as I could, heading straight out the auditorium doors.

"Sarah!" I could hear Ally shouting at me. "Where are you going? Sarah, come back! Wait!"

No Ally, I can't come back. I just can't. Bruce was dead. My godfather was dead. I had to get home and know for sure if he was, even though the evidence was right there before me.

I knew school wouldn't be over for another two hours, and I would get in trouble for leaving early without any authorization from Miss Rose, but I didn't care. I pushed past other students and teachers, some of which told me to stop running in the hallways or ask to see a hall pass. At this point, I was just more hellbent on going home rather than paying attention to the school rules like I usually did.

Bolting out of the front entrance of Gotham City Private, and continued running down the steps and practically flying down the sidewalks, not even breaking my pace in my run towards the Penthouse, I ran so fast that the haunting sound of siren's from police cars, fire trucks and- -my heart clenched at this- - ambulences reached my ears. The first sob escaped my mouth, and I urged myself to run faster.

The walking time to get to school from the Penthouse was 15 minutes, but my frantic running made the journey seem shorter. It was amazing how everything goes by fast when something horrible in your life was happening.

I avoided going past City Hall. The last thing I wanted to see was paramedics surrounding the dead Batman, trying to revive him, removing the mask...

Oh no, I didn't even _think_ about_ that_!

Not only was Bruce dead, but people were going to find out about him being Batman. It'll _**ruin**_ his family name! I couldn't let that happen!

I finally reached the parking garage underneath Gotham Centuty Towers, breathing frantically, trying not to cry too much, but I couldn't help it. My godfather's body was hanging outside of City Hall in broad daylight, for all of Gotham to see. I pressed the elevator button to go up to the Penthouse as much as I can, trying to get up there faster. When the doors finally opened, and I flew in, pressing my body against the wall as they closed and went up.

That was when I finally allowed the tears to shed, and the sobs to burst out.

I didn't want Bruce to be dead...It wasn't fair...I already lost my parents...Why did I have to lose my godfather too?

I started to feel sick to my stomach, feeling like I was going to throw up. This couldn't happen again. Not again...

The first thing I saw when the elevator opened up to the Penthouse was Alfred in the living room. I felt a bit relieved to see him, but it still didn't calm me down. In fact, I cried even more as I rushed out of the elevator towards him.

"Alfred!" I shouted, crying my eyes out as I ran toward him.

Alfred's turned around and before I even saw the look of surprise on his face, he had bent down to my level, his arms holding mine.

"Miss Sarah?" he asked in bewilderment. "What are you doing home?"

I couldn't stop crying, and it was hard to get a word out clearly, but I did my best to explain to him what happened.

"Alfred," I cried, my voice frantic and my face red and streaked with tear stains. "Something's happened to Bruce!"

"What are you talking about?" Alfred asked, still confused.

I was about to explain, when I heard another voice.

"Sarah?"

I may have been still crying, but I heard that voice as clear as day, and I knew who that voice belonged to.

Alfred's arms still holding mine, I turned my head toward where I heard it, and there was Bruce, coming down the stairs.

He was wearing a white dress shirt, just finishing buttoning the cuffs on his sleeves, with a confused look on his face when he reached the bottom of the staircase.

...He was alive...

I ripped myself away from Alfred and threw my arms around Bruce, hugging him tightly, burying my face in his shirt, and letting myself cry in relief. His arms wrapped around me only a few short seconds after, his confusion slowly going away.

"You're here," I sobbed. "...You're still here."

"Sarah," Bruce started in a soft, bewildered voice. "Of course I'm here. But what are you doing home? You're supposed to be in school right now."

Bruce's hands moved towards my shoulders to gently push me away from him to get a better look at me. I kept taking deep breaths, sobs and tears still coming out.

"Please don't ever leave home again!" I shook my head at him frantically, begging him. "_Please_!"

It was then that Bruce took notice of the state I was: The way I was breathing hard as if I didn't have any lungs; Sweat pouring out of the pores of my skin, going down my head in rivers. My hair was a mess, the ponytail I had in earlier looking sloppy and frumpy from the run I had just been on. My entire face red from a combination of running hard, breathing hard, and crying hard.

I looked like hell.

It only took a few seconds for me to calm down before Bruce continued as I wiped my tears away with the cuffs of my sleeve.

"What happened?" my godfather asked, even more concerned.

"Sir..." Alfred said cautiously.

Bruce looked up at Alfred to find him staring at the television that had _GCN_ turned on at a low volume. There was a breaking news segment entitled "Batman Dead?", and it was showing footage of a man dressed exactly like Batman hanging on a rope by his neck, just like Ally told me. It was horrible. I couldn't believe something like that had happened.

With an arm close around me, Bruce walked over to the coffee table with me and reached for the remote to hear what Mike Engel, the news anchor, was saying. Alfred came and stood beside me too as the volume turned up, and I stood in the middle, safe standing between those two men.

This was the moment when we had our first real taste of what the future had in store for all of us...

"_Police released video footage found concealed on the body_," Mike Engel explained carefully. "_Sensitive viewers, be aware. The image is disturbing_."

The news cut to an obviously amature video, showing a man in a Batman suit, alive, tied to a chair, his head almost hanging to the side in despair. It looked like he was being held hostage in the back of a butcher's shop. I watched, already paralyzed with growing fear.

And then a voice came on in the background. It obviously belonged to whoever was filming...

But it sounded chilling in a way. It was hard to describe, but I'll do my best. I guess, looking back now, it sounded like the voice of a character from a children's book, like Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland" where there was nothing but laughter and madness dripping out of his mouth.

The words he spoke sounded like he was trying to imitate that of a normal person...But the way he held in his little snickers and the shaking of the camera and the growing excitement in his voice confirmed him to be a mad man.

Maybe more.

"Tell them your name..." taunted the mysterious voice to the tied-up, fake Batman.

"...Brian...Douglas," the poor man answered.

The camera shook again, the mysterious and murdering mad man instantly thrilled a little bit. While one arm was around my shoulders, holding me tightly to him, Bruce's hand on the other arm fiddled with the remote, squeezing it once or twice, trying to decipher what was going on, his eyes fixed on the television.

Being so close to him, I could feel my godfather's heart start to race. I grew worried for him, but I kept my focus on what was happening on the news.

"Are you the _real_ Batman?" the mad man asked, almost soundng like he was full of wonder.

The man dressed up as Batman, Douglas, answered, and I felt sorry for him.

"No," Douglas's voice cracked.

"_No_?" asked the insane voice, quivering with impending laughter and giggles.

"No."

"**_No_**?"

I knew what was going to happen to Brian Douglas, but I couldn't help but beg for his life to be spared in my mind. He was scared, and I could tell that he knew that his life would be coming to an end soon. Suddenly, a hand shot out from behind the camera on the screen, ripping off the homemade Batman mask off of Douglas's head, shaking it in front of him.

"Then why do you**_ dress up_ **like him?" he asked, taunting with a hint of a threatening growl.

As the mad man behind the camera continued to mock the hostage, I wrapped both my arms around Bruce, moving closer to him, feeling frightened. When I did that, Bruce's hand moved up to my head, gently pushing my face against his side, guiding my attention away from this hellish video.

"Don't look, Sarah," he advised softly.

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block the rest of the conversation in the video, holding onto Bruce tightly now, knowing that he would protect me. But he could not protect me from what I heard.

In the darkness of my own mind, I still heard Douglas and the mad man's banter, Douglas trying to show a bit of bravery; trying to save his dignity as a man.

"He-he's a symbol," he explained why he dressed up as the Winged Avenger. "That we don't have to be afraid of scum like you."

"Yeah," the mad man begged to differ. "You _do_, Brian...You**_ really_ **do...Yeah."

I could hear whimpers coming from Douglas, making his fear known to his captor...For a moment, I thought they were my own.

"Oh, shush-shush-shush-shush-shush. So you think Batman's made Gotham a better place? Hmm? Look at me."

It was almost as if he was talking to me: Trying to entice the secrets I held out of me. My heart was pounding and I felt dizzy, but I tried to keep calm, knowing that Bruce was right there and that he would keep me safe. I had to tell myself that everything was going to be fine...

...As long as I didn't comply to the mad man's response. I wouldn't look at the television. I wouldn't look at him.

"_**Look at me**_!"

That voice...

I knew, even then at a young age, that the voice belonged to a man who's mind came from the depths of hell and was so evil that the devil himself casted him out.

My grip instantly got tighter around Bruce's waist, a small gasp of fright escaping from my lips.

It was so ferocious and full of anger...full of chaos. I wondered what was going on in his head that made him the way he was...

Curiosity soon got the better of me. One look couldn't hurt. One little peak. I just wanted to know what he looked like so that could put a face to the voice.

Slowly turning my head little by little towards the television, I got my first good look at a man who would tear down my whole world, laughing while he did it.

And I immediately regretted it.

And I immdiately knew who this was by the description I had been given early.

This was the man who had terrorized the mind of Celia Hendersen for months now.

This was the Man With The Bleeding Smile.

This was the the man who the police dubbed only one name:

_**The Joker**_.

"You see _this_," the Joker talked to the camera, knowing he would have a captive audience soon. "Is how **_crazy_** Batman's made Gotham. You want _order_ in Gotham? Batman must take off his mask, and turn himself in."

I shook my head in horror. No. He couldn't be asking that. There's no way Bruce would do that.

"Oh, and everyday he doesn't, people will_ die_...Starting tonight..."

No...

"...I'm a man of my word."

And then came the laughter.

And the screaming.

...And then darkness, with a voice trying to call my name as I felt arms grip around me before I slumped completely to the floor.

"Sarah? Sarah!"

* * *

It felt like it was hours before I started to regain consciousness, but even with my eyes closed I could still tell that it was daylight. Like I was deep in water, as I tried to reach to the surface to open my eyelids, I could hear voices above me growing louder and louder until I knew they were right above me. They were soft and concerned and maybe a little confused.

Someone sitting next to me on where I laid put something cool on my forehead. Two hands were placed on my cheeks, stroking one side softly.

"Come on, Sarah," I knew the whisper of Bruce's voice anywhere. "Open your eyes."

"She looks as pale as a ghost," Alfred sounded worried.

"Go downstairs and call Gotham City Private. Tell them she's home right now before they start to wonder where she is."

Footsteps on the floor sounded quickly out the door, and Bruce continued to try and coax me awake. I did my best to try and open my eyes.

"Come on, Sarah," he encouraged softly again. "Wake up."

Finally, I squeezed my closed eyes shut tighter before opening them, blinking a little until the darkness went away. At first, my vision consisted of nothing but shadowy outlines of objects. I blinked a couple of more times before I began to see things a bit more clearly.

Above me was Bruce, looking down at where I laid. Quickly taking in my surroundings, I realized that I was in my room, lying on top of my bed with a washcloth on my forehead. Slowly sitting up, I took some deep breaths, trying to comprehend what was going on.

Bruce let out a silent sigh of relief when he saw me open my eyes, glad that I was awake and OK.

"Are you all right?" he asked me.

I was still taking deep breaths, but I stared at my godfather with a quizzical expression. He just asked me if I was all right...Was he seriously asking me that?

"Who..." I started, my breathing getting a bit erratic with confusion and fear. "Who was- -Who was that maniac on the news? Who was dressed up as Batman? _**What's going on, Bruce**_?"

My godfather held up his hands in a way to get me to calm down. I sat there on my bed, trying to calm down my breathing, obviously still shocked at what I had witnessed on _GCN_. He waited a few seconds to make sure I was going to OK and willing to listen to him. Of course I was willing to listen. I wanted to know what was going on and only Bruce had the answer.

"...I don't know who was dressed up as Batman..." he started slowly, trying to find a way to easily explain. "But the man who killed him is someone I've been tracking for a while now. He calls himself the Joker, and this is the first time I know of that he's made a public attack."

So Bruce did know about the Joker. I should've told him right then and there about Celia's problem too...But I wasn't focusing on that.

"He said people were going to **_die_** if you didn't confess you were Batman," I warned, my voice cracking.

Bruce shook his head, sensing that I was having trouble trying to stay calm.

"I won't let him do that," he said.

I disagreed. This guy was completely insane. It may have been brief, and it may have only been on the television, but I can still see a demon's eyes in my mind. Fires of all madness and insanity were burning in those charcoal eyes, and they will forever be burning in my memory for the rest of my life.

Shaking my head, tears started to swell up in my eyes, the events of the day finally coming up on me and taking hold of everything inside of me.

"I thought it was _you_..." I started sobbing. "I thought it was**_ you_**!"

My godfather immediately pulled me into an embrace, hugging me tightly, and letting me cry my eyes out. A hand held the back of my head, holding me against Bruce's shoulder. No words were exchanged; he didn't try and calm me down. There were times when I would cry and he would calm me down and try to get me to see that everything was going to be fine.

This time was different.

And I knew that if Bruce wasn't saying something to make the situation any easier by now, then I knew that we were going to be in so much danger.

"I'm _scared_," I sobbed on his shoulder.

I felt Bruce's chest heave in and out, a sigh of worry escaping from his lips. It took a moment for him to say something, but I think he was having trouble saying a promise to me that he wasn't absolutely sure he could keep.

Despite his obvious doubts, he still made this promise:

"He's not going to get you," he told me. "...I promise you that."

* * *

Tonight was the night of Harvey Dent's fundraising party.

Before I delve into what happened before the party, I just want to sarcastically say "Thanks a lot, Bruce!"

For the better part of the afternoon, I stayed up in my room, trying to sink in what had happened that day while getting ready for the fundraiser.

After about 10 minutes of crying my eyes out, I had told my godfather what happened at school and why I came home early. Knowing that I had never done anything irrational as running out of school early and it was because of a terrible thought I had, I didn't get in trouble by Bruce or Alfred.

On the other hand, I can't say that I didn't get in trouble with Gotham City Private.

In addition to make up for the gymnastic's unit I missed in gym class and two pop quizzes from my other classes, Ms. Rose said that even though I have never done anything stupid like what I did today, I still had a week's worth of lunch detention. She said I could make up for my missing classes during that time, but it was still detention nonetheless.

Bruce had to smile a little about that. He said my mother was around my age when she started getting lunch detentions, even though she was still a good Honor-Roll student.

I was pretty sure I was going to get a lecture from Rachel later that night, but I know it was only going to be a little one.

Before it got too late, I started getting ready for the party. One of the very few good things about Bruce going away on trips without me is that he brought me really cool gifts. This time, with a lot of help from Lucius, Alfred and Rachel, it was a nice dress from Hong Kong, complete with chopsticks to put in my hair. It was a nice black silk dress that went to my knees appropriately with a red dragon embroidered on the end of the skirt.

I was just finishing up my hair, putting in the chopsticks when I finally got a good look at myself in the mirror.

My mind couldn't help but wander to what happened on _GCN_ today.

I can't really tell you exactly what went through my head. All I can say is that I felt lost and completely useless. I tried to figure out if there was anything I could've done to prevent what happened, but every scenario I came up with only had me ending up in silent tears.

Wiping the warm tears away from my cheeks, I sat down at my desk, and put my head in my hands with a sigh.

Alfred once told me that there was so much evil in this world that it seemed like it was everywhere. I never really knew how much evil there was until it hit close to home...

...He also said that good would always rise in the end. I never really knew what that meant then when the world seemed to be falling apart...and I wouldn't know until I was older than I was then.

"Sarah?"

A hand was placed on my shoulder, and I jumped out of my thoughts with a gasp, turning around. It was only Bruce.

"Whoa!" he held up his hands in calm defense as I let out a sigh of relief. "It's just me. It's just me. I just came in here to let you know I have to go pick a date I have for tonight. I'm coming back soon."

"Yeah," I said dismissively. "Whatever. I'll see you at the party."

Noticing my tone and attitude, Bruce gently pulled me out of my seat, and that's when I got a clear look at him. He looked like he usually did in his nice black suit with his hair all neat and combed back, and there was that faint smell of that cologne he wore that always reminded me of spices in India for some reason.

"No," he said in a stern but light voice. "I'm not leaving until I show you something."

At this point, I realized that Bruce was holding something behind his back, keeping it hidden from my view. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to figure out what he had to show me. Bruce removed his hand from my shoulder, and let out a breath before pulling out the mystery object from out of hiding...

"I want you to know how very special these are to me," he explained softly to me. "They are a birthday present, but I'm going to be hanging onto them unless it's a special occasion...I've been thinking a lot about your birthday coming up and these...And I think that my mother, if she knew you like I do, would want these to go to you when the time comes."

What Bruce had in his hand was a beautiful pearl necklace. Upon seeing them, the wonderful cream-colored piece of jewelry took my breath away and I longed to wear them around my neck right then and there.

But before my hand could touch the necklace, it became known to me that these pearl's belonged to Bruce's mother: Martha Wayne.

And she wore them the night she was murdered with her husband, when Bruce was just a boy, younger than I was.

I drew my hand back, afraid to touch the pearls, and looked at my godfather. He had a sad smile on his face, his green eyes soft, understanding that I knew that having those pearls would be a big responsibility.

I shook my head.

"Bruce," I started. "They're beautiful, but I can't take them. They're too valuable to you. What if- -"

My godfather stopped me right there, slowly turning me around to face the mirror hanging on my bathroom door, and I watched him put the pearls around my neck.

"Sarah, I told you," he said quietly, tying the strand of pearls before placing his hands on my shoulders. "You're not going to handle these pearls until you're older. They are valuable and that's why they are mostly kept in a safe in my room..." He then looked at my reflection in the mirror, smiling a little more. "...And I know that you will keep them safe when you do wear them."

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I finally took the courage to actually touch the pearls that were resting around my neck. It was a huge honor to be wearing the same jewelry that Martha Wayne wore, but those pearls held very few memories of Bruce's life and most of them were dark ones. Everytime I wore that necklace, I was reminded of the murders of Bruce's parents.

The fact that Bruce trusted me enough to wear them made me feel good though. I've always known that the pearls were kept safe somewhere; I just never knew where. Personally, I always thought it was in a safety deposit box somewhere in an overseas bank because they meant that much to my godfather. Alfred told me about those pearls some time after I settled into the Penthouse. In fact, he was there when Thomas Wayne picked them out for his wife.

I moved toward my bed and sat down, looking at the pictures on my nightstand with a somber look on my face. Among the framed photos of my parents, my friends, Bruce, Alfred, and Rachel, there was only one picture of Thomas and Martha Wayne- - The only picture to survive the fire at Wayne Manor last year.

Bruce had given me that picture when I was anxious about him going out of town the first time, and told me that if he wasn't there, then the spirit of his mother and father would watch over me. Sometimes I like to think that they were watching over me right alongside my parents, but I didn't know who they were well enough to actually think that most of the time...

...And I wish I did.

My godfather sat down next to me on my bed, sighing once more at the sight of me depressed.

"I know something is wrong when you have that look on your face," he reminded me.

Bruce could sometimes read me like a book just by seeing my facial expressions. I had to work on that...

"It's your tie," I tried to lie a little. "It's out of style."

That only made Bruce chuckle a bit before he put a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"Now I **_know_** something is wrong because you're stalling," he teased a bit.

I just looked down at my hands resting in my lap, not answering...

"You're still thinking about the broadcast, aren't you?"

The news broadcast shown on _GCN_ hadn't crossed my mind the past few minutes until now. I was actually thinking about Thomas and Martha Wayne and how I felt unworthy to be wearing Bruce's family heirloom. But I nodded slowly, confirming that Bruce was right...the thoughts of the Joker entering my subconscious once more.

"You're gonna stop him before he does anything bad, right?" I asked in a small but hopeful voice.

I knew that Bruce was one big strong guy and he could take on this psychopath any day of the week. He was strong enough to take on twenty guys at once, no matter what their mental capacity was. His training with the League of Shadows made sure that he had that skill.

Something began to haunt me, however, from the moment that tape was released. The dark eyes of the man playing the role of a sadistic clown will always taunt me forever, I knew that then.

But I always knew that my godfather would always be watching out for me.

...So why did I still feel like something bad was going to happen?

"I'll stop him..." I could sense the darkness in the promise and in Bruce's voice.

Looking up, I was greeted with the small smile on Bruce's face. I don't know if I've mentioned how much I loved that smile before. There was always a brightness to it that was comforting and reassuring. Usually after seeing that smile, my own smile was not far behind. But tonight, it was hard to even try to curl a corner of my lip.

He let out a breath before he continued to talk.

"Listen, I'm running late," he told me.

Then he gently turned my head to face him, a finger under my chin guiding me to make sure I was paying attention. The growing smile on Bruce's face told me he was going to try and cheer me up a little.

"But I'm not leaving until I get a smile out of you," he warned playfully. "Come on..."

I knew how this would work out: He'd tell me to smile, and I'd be stubborn and wouldn't at first, then he'd do something to get me to smile, like tickle my sides or something. And that's exactly what he did. It made me jump a little, which made him chuckle, but it made me smile in the end. Bruce's smile grew bigger at the sight of me smiling.

"Do you know how pretty you are when you smile?" he asked softly. "Keep on smiling like that, then the boys will be lining up..."

Bruce then realized what he was saying and stopped, and that made me giggle a little bit. He then smiled more.

"On second thought: Frown. Just frown and glare and sulk until you're thirty."

At this point I was laughing so much that my sides were starting to hurt. My godfather laughed with me, glad to see that his little joke was making me laugh. As soon as I calmed down, Bruce pulled me into a half a hug and kissed the top of my head. I hugged him back, letting out a sigh of relaxation.

"I'm glad you're home, Bruce," I said.

"Me too," Bruce smiled.

* * *

_**(A/N: There will not be a funny author's note today, because I want to express my deepest sadness and apologies for the families of the victims, the survivors, and those affected by what happened in Aurora, Colorado the night "The Dark Knight Rises" opened...**_

_**I don't live that far from Colorado. In fact, I'm told that a friend of a friend is actually hospitalized, and that broke my heart for my friend. I had actually planned to finish this chapter before I went to the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" so that I would meet my goal, but work and other things got in the way, and I decided I would finish in the morning.**_

_**That's when my mother told me what happened as soon as I woke up, and I was at a loss for words.**_

_**Throughout that day at work, I spent my whole time thinking about the incident, and hearing people blame things that shouldn't be blamed in the first place. When I got home from work, I cried to my father. He told me that this was a reminder that there was so much evil in the world, but it shouldn't stop me from living.**_

_**I felt as though I should stop writing this series at first, but my father's wisdom has reminded me to keep the promises I made to myself, no matter what knocks me down and tries to take my innocence away from me.**_

_**Not only will I continue to write this series, but I will also ask you, my readers and reviewers, to please keep those families in your prayers. They need comfort now more than ever.**_

_**Tonight, a group of friends and I have decided to get together and go see "The Dark Knight Rises". Some will be seeing it for the first time and others are nervous, but I'm doing my best to be strong for everyone. I want to remind them that good always triumphs in the end and that time and faith heals everything, and I hope the movie will show them that because it showed me that.**_

_**We will not stop believing in the goodness of this world because one person used so much evil.**_

_**I will post a funny author's note next time, but for this week...I ask you to keep your faith in God, in people, in families, and maybe, if you want, in our favorite Caped Crusader...**_

_**I hope all of you are well, and I hope that my words will inspire a little.**_

_**I love you all. I thank you all. I believe in you all.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Sarah Chante.)**_


	14. I Don't Believe In Harvey Dent

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

A lot of people in Gotham City really did believe in Harvey Dent. Especially Gotham's social high class world, which was why all of them showed up to the fundraising party Bruce was holding for Mr. Dent tonight at the Penthouse.

The whole entire first floor was filled with people when I came downstairs that evening. Men in fine suits were scattered about in several groups, laughing at someone's totally new, but very unoriginal golf joke that involved some Chinese man and a Rabbi. Women were gossiping in corners about the out-of-style dress one of their "frenemies" were wearing, and giggling between sips of sparkling champagne. One or two couples tried to sneak upstairs for a little private time with each other, but Alfred always managed to keep them downstairs.

Despite their social habits and urges, everyone was there to congratulate one man on his campaign and support him in his next, and that was Harvey Dent.

When I had my first taste of the Fancy World of Gotham, I thought that the rich playboys and the snobby heiress' wouldn't even cast a second glance to anything political because it didn't revolve around them or they just didn't care.

Tonight was different. Harvey Dent really created a stir prosecuting all those mob members at once earlier today. It seemed to be a wake-up call for everyone in Gotham City.

Politics, in general, are boring: Let's face it, they are. I mean, when you were a kid and you heard a bunch of grown-ups talking about something that you didn't understand and using big words you don't know the meaning of, you tend to get disinterested in the subject. Maybe when you're older, you'll actually be interested in a few topics around politics because, whether you want to admit it or not, it's become an important part of your life.

I'm sure that when I'm older, the wish to get involved in politics will come around.

But for now, I'm 12 (13 tomorrow...), and I have no interest in the subject whatsoever.

Especially if it had Harvey Dent as part of the subject.

I managed to sneak my way through various crowds of people, almost bumping into three caterers carrying cocktail shrimp in the process, and arrived to where I knew Ally and Kayla would be: Standing right by the kitchen, texting on their cell phones and sneaking away cubes of cheese and fruit off a passing caterer's tray every once in a while.

Normally, I would've had my iPod with me so I could listen to music instead of talking with people who I was going to forget five minutes later, but Alfred had hidden it somewhere where I would not be able to find it. So there I was, stuck in a corner with my friends, trying to hide from everyone else in the room. Ally and Kayla didn't like these parties as much as I did. They always said they were boring and I agreed 100 percent with them. Nothing fun ever seemed to happen at these fundraisers.

Ally and Kayla were very similar in their dress styles. Both of them were spaghetti strapped and went to the knees in a nice chiffon material. The only difference was the color. Ally's was yellow while Kayla was in a spring green one. There really wasn't much to describe their outfits. Usually at a party they looked forward to, they went all out and got the prettiest dresses I've ever seen. But they really didn't care what they wore to a political fundraising party that our parents made us go.

Nathan wasn't even in his usual suit. He was just in a white shirt, nice pants and shoes, complete with a red clip-on neck tie. When I came over to our "hiding corner" he showed up too, with a handful of chocolate cookies he somehow managed to get in and out of the kitchen with while Alfred wasn't looking.

His older sister took notice of this and rolled her eyes.

"Nathan," she scolded softly. "You just had dinner. How could you still be hungry?"

"Mom's not here," Nathan retorted with a mouthful of cookie. "Quit trying to act like her."

Kayla was never one to side with her little cousin. If there was one other person in her family that she would butt heads with more than Ally, it was Nathan. He always got on her nerves, and she always got on his nerves. In the Farris Family household, that was a way of life.

But Kayla did love a good insult, even if it was at the expense of her cousin. In the middle of texting Celia, she heard Nathan's quick and witty comeback, and tried very, very hard not to laugh too loudly. Ally glared at Kayla for laughing while I held a hand over my mouth to keep my giggles unknown.

"Shut up," Ally said to Kayla before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Where is your mom, anyway?" I asked.

"Oh," Ally shrugged, waving her hand at me dismissively on the subject. "She's been throwing up a lot lately, so she's staying at home tonight."

"You know that's a sign that she might be pregnant right?" Kayla asked Ally, still texting Celia.

Ally snapped her head toward Kayla, giving her cousin another glare.

"We don't know that's gonna happen!" she whispered vehemently. "It could just be the stomach flu."

"Uh-huh," Kayla replied sarcastically. "Sure."

With a roll in her eyes and a growl escaping her lips, Ally pressed her hands against her eyes in embarrassment and frustration. Meanwhile, I was confused to the whole situation. I felt completely lost.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked cautiously.

Now that I noticed, Ally looked a bit ticked. And not just because Nathan and Kayla were getting on her nerves. Whatever hell she was going through, she was going to drag me down with her whether I liked it or not.

"First of all," she started explaining in an emphatic tone, pointing a finger at me. "Today was not a good day and let me tell you why."

I rolled my eyes. Here we go. Another one of Ally's rants. I think she has PMS again...

"Kayla decides to get herself into lunch detention _again_ after my dad told me to make sure she doesn't get into trouble **_again_**- -"

"Not my fault our teachers don't have a sense of humor," Kayla put her two cents in, still engrossed in texting on her cell phone.

"- _-Then_, you decide to play hooky for the last three classes of school- -"

Kayla grinned and turned her attention towards me.

"I applaud you for that, Sarah," she gave me a thumbs up. "Keep up the good work."

Ally continued as Kayla went back to her phone.

"- -I called you _**five**_ times to make sure you were OK," she ranted on. "By the way, you _really_ need to answer your phone once in a while. _**Then**_ I got in trouble for having my cell phone out in class and that got taken away. And on top of all that, my parents say that it's very possible that I'm going to be a big sister again."

My best friend gave out a huff of frustration and folded her arms again.

"It was a _**really**_ bad day today," she scowled again, finishing her rant.

Being Ally's best friend obviously had its ups and downs. Every relationship has their ups and downs. Usually the good relationships that last a long time are the ones that recognized and dealt with the downs. Luckily, that was the kind of relationship my friends and I had with each other. The whole time Ally was ranting, I just stared at her and let her be frustrated, with my arms folded and raised eyebrows to show some expressions once in a while.

Ally complaining about her bad day was nothing. In fact, this was actually one of the calmer rants she has.

There was still one thing that confused me.

"So..." I went over what she said out loud. "Your mom's pregnant and that makes you upset?"

Ally shifted her eyes toward me.

"It's already hard enough trying to deal with one immature sibling," she pointed out.

I shrugged.

"Nathan's actually a bit mature for his age," I defended her little brother.

"I wasn't talking about Nathan," Ally replied, jerking her head over to where Kayla was.

It only took a moment for Kayla to realize that Ally was talking about her. She had glanced up to where Ally was when she noticed her talking. Then she had to do a double take to her cousin when the light-bulb went off in her head, coming to the conclusion that my best friend just called her cousin an immature sibling.

"Oh," she let her arms fall to her side dramatically. "That's just low, man."

I sighed a bit, but not because of my friends arguing with each other. Everywhere else around me, accompanied by the usual string quartet that shows up to these things, I heard adults laughing and others talking in deep serious conversations like "Did you know that I recently purchased a new car to go with the one I bought last week?" or "Have you seen the new Prada bag that doesn't come out until next year?"

It was exhausting just hearing them. Everytime these sycophantic suck-ups talked about their money and how they spent it made me want to hit my head against the wall. It was _that_ frustrating.

"I'm sorry this party is boring, you guys," I apologized to my friends. "Maybe in a few years when we're older, they won't be so bad."

"Right," Kayla scoffed in disbelief. "Maybe in a few years, I'll graduate at the top of our class and be accepted to Harvard. Sarah, these parties are still gonna be boring when we're older. In fact, we'll look back on tonight and consider _this_ fun."

After Kayla stated that, I looked back at the room filled with people of the Fancy World of Gotham, and realized that she may have a point. Maybe these people were hiding their boredom by talking about the one thing they knew they had in common with everybody: A lot of money to spend.

Growing up in the Narrows for most of my early childhood may have had its bad points, - -And trust me when I say that those points could get really, really bad,- - But it also had its good points too. One of those good points was that it helped me be grateful for the things that I was given.

Today, I was grateful for a nice home, a really big room, nice clothes and food, and people to love me and watch out for me in my parents places. I never asked for anything big or expensive. I never felt spoiled, even though I was given a lot of nice things.

For once since coming to the party, I had to smile. Life was pretty OK, now that I thought about it.

And I would always continue to be grateful for so many years to come.

Then, out of nowhere, two arms engulf me in a hug from behind. I almost jumped in surprise, but then I had to laugh as I gripped the arms, returning the hug as much as I could. Rachel always liked to surprise me with a hug when she came over and I wasn't looking. She was the only person, besides Bruce and Alfred, that made these parties bearable to go through with.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" she smiled big when I turned to look at her.

"It's not my birthday yet, Rachel," I pointed out, giggling.

"Not for another 4 hours," Rachel winked at me before turning to my friends. "Hi girls."

"Hi Miss Dawes," Ally and Kayla said in unison.

Rachel looked absolutely beautiful that night at the fundraiser. She was in an elegant dark green dress that went down below her ankles with a matching shrug to cover the straps. Her hair was done, twisted softly halfway, letting a few curls hang out. Looking at her, she looked like a 1940's movie star.

Then I realized that if she was here...Then the guest of honor was here as well.

A lot of things ran through my mind in under 10 seconds flat. Was I going to have to go through another awkward night if I bumped into Harvey Dent? Did I have to be nice to him again? Was he going to try to win me over with that weird smile of his?

The answer to these questions was, regrettably, yes.

It took all that I had to not sigh out loud and get a look from Rachel. If she knew about my true feelings and judgement of Mr. Dent, and I knew she was getting suspicious, then she would give me another lecture like Alfred gave last week. Really, in all honesty, I already had a crappy day today, and I didn't want to end it with getting reprimanded by a woman I considered a second mother and didn't want to disappoint her.

"Sweetheart," Rachel moved me so I was right in front of her. "Your chopsticks are falling out of your hair. Let me fix it for you."

One of the things Rachel was good at was helping me with my hair when I needed it up and done nicely. I always tried to do it myself, but she always did it better. It was nice that I had a woman role model in my life to teach me girly things that neither Bruce or Alfred can never teach me...Or, in any case actually, want to.

After she was done securing the chopsticks in my hair and making sure everything else was looking good, she turned me around to face her. Rachel pulled a strand of hair of my head so that a tendril hung in front of my face and pulled my gold heart-shaped locket to the front of my neck so that it could be shown to everyone before she gave me a smile.

"There," she said softly. "Now you look beautiful."

Looking back, I remember how it always baffled me why someone would call a 12-year-old "beautiful". In my opinion, that word was always used to complement someone a lot older than I was. "Pretty", "cute", or even "adorable" would've been suitable for me at that age.

But Rachel was different. When she said I was beautiful, it reminded me of the way she saw certain things in people that others can't. She always liked to see the grace and beauty in her peers and mentors, even if they could be found in the most lost of souls. So I smiled at her compliment, knowing that when she called me "beautiful", she was also seeing something inside of me that I had yet to discover.

"Where's Bruce?" she asked, as she grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing caterer.

I shrugged. He left about an hour ago, and said he'd be back. Knowing Bruce, he always liked to make an entrance at these kinds of parties to keep up the billionaire-playboy persona. Whenever he does put on that over-confidant mask of his, it always embarrasses me. I knew I had to play a little of "Princess of Gotham" part too, but I felt as though I already wore enough masks to last me a lifetime.

There was a mask I wore to social functions like these, where I smiled at people I didn't know and answer questions that weren't any of their business, all the while acting like a totally stupid teenage girl they expected me to be.

Another mask is the one I wear in front of my friends. In this mask, I can still be myself but I still had to be cautious about what I said around my friends. I wore this mask to protect them.

Then there was the mask I wore in front of Bruce, Alfred, and Rachel, where I was completely myself, and the darkest of secrets came to light. But even the darkest of feelings that were stirring in me with unease were never shown, and I wore a smile to show my family that I was all right.

Before I could answer Rachel, telling her that I had no idea where Bruce was at the moment, a noise distracted me, as well as everyone else in the room.

When I looked over to see where it was coming from, I had to stop myself from groaning out loud while Rachel moved to the front of the crowd with her champagne glass to get a better look. To hide my face from embarrassment, I turned my back away from everyone else, and hid my face with my hand.

Not again, Bruce...

"How many models do you think he brought with him this time?" Kayla asked me.

"Shut up Kayla," Ally and I both snapped quietly at our Chicago-raised friend.

Everytime Bruce was out in public where there was a bunch of people from the city's elite society, he acts like a complete idiot.

And I mean that in the nicest, possible way.

In order to ensure the safety of his nightly alter-ego, Bruce had to maintain a certain persona in front of everybody. So did I, but I kept it down to a reasonable notch. My godfather sometimes gets a little too carried away. Last year, he bought a few hotels and swam in pools that were only for decoration with European models.

In fact, after the dramatic episodes of last year died down, we were graced with a Social Worker's visit for six months to evaluate if Bruce was going to be a good parental guardian or not, and they brought up the little swimming episode he performed at the hotel, not to mention the fire at Wayne Manor that occurred after he faked being drunk.

As long as Alfred was still the butler and Bruce behaved himself (most of the time), and I looked like I was happy (and I was), everything was fine.

But I still hated it when he brought home more than one date at a time!

I didn't see how many girls he brought with him to the party via helicopter (thus making his grand entrance to the soiree he was hosting). I was too busy trying to hide myself away from the rest of the crowd.

The party hadn't even started and already I wanted it to be over!

"Sorry that I'm late," my godfather apologized to his guests. "I'm glad to see that you all got started without me. Now, where- -" I could hear him clap his hands once in anticipation. "- -is Harvey?"

At this point, I could tell that Bruce was getting ready to begin some sort of speech to honor Harvey Dent, so I decided to make my way to the front of the crowd. Even though I was embarrassed about Bruce's entrance, and the last thing I wanted was to make myself known to Gotham's wealthy socialites and the guest of honor, I still had to make some sort of "Princess of Gotham" appearance.

After that, I can do whatever I wanted at this dumb fundraiser.

"Where- -?" Bruce stopped for a moment, then his voice got a little softer. He must've found who he was looking for. "Harvey Dent. The man of the hour. Where's Rachel Dawes?"

Oh no, Bruce! I thought to myself with rolled eyes as I got closer to the edge of the crowd. Don't call out Rachel in front of the party. You're already embarrassing me!

"She is my oldest friend. Come here."

By the time I got to the front of the crowd, I was able to see everything more clearly without anyone taller than me obstructing my view. Rachel was only a few steps away from where I stood, her back facing me. Even though I couldn't see her face, I didn't need anyone to tell me that Rachel disapproved of my godfather's entrance and cocky billionaire play-boy attitude, and that she was going to dislike whatever speech he concocted for Dent.

Bruce looked as over-confident as ever in front of the party guests. His whole demeanor practically screamed irresponsibility and immaturity to everyone: The way he must have waltzed in from the helicopter pad with his three or four supermodel dates; that superior smile on his lips. In a way, he almost acted like a rich and arrogant 18-year-old boy, which was probably how most of the room saw him.

Harvey Dent was standing on the other side of the room, and though he looked calm and unphased by my godfather's entrance, something told me that he had a look of puzzlement and maybe a hint of disgust right before I glanced at him.

Whatever. I honestly didn't really care about what he thought of Bruce.

No one knew him the way I did, and Dent would never know an ounce of what Bruce meant to me.

"You know," my godfather started again. "When Rachel first told me she was dating Harvey Dent, I had one thing to say: 'The guy from those awful campaign commercials? '_I **believe** in Harvey Dent_'?"

The way Bruce told the story was a bit truthful, but he told his socialite audience how he said it in a funny way.

When Bruce really heard about Rachel dating Dent, he heard it from me. And he said his reaction a bit more in a tone that sounded like Kayla when she got upset about something.

"Yeah, nice slogan Harvey," Bruce gave Dent a thumbs up in a jovial tone before continuing his little speech. "But it got Rachel's attention. And then I started to pay attention to Harvey...and all that he's been doing. And you know what?"

It was in that moment that Bruce stopped talking and glanced at me briefly. I took that as an OK to come up to him. As I came forward, my godfather gently pulled me in front of him, my back facing him, placing his hands on my shoulders, giving them a squeeze before he continued.

While he spoke these next words, I realized that for just a brief few seconds, the Fancy World of Gotham had a glimpse of what my godfather was like behind all the paparazzi cameras. They had the opportunity to see my best friend in the same way I saw him

I don't think they even realized or cared at the time.

But there was something in the sound of his voice. Something that made me come to realize that Bruce was not only speaking an impromptu speech as his pompous billionaire-playboy persona. In front of everyone, Bruce Wayne was speaking something so rare, that even I never thought would come out of his mouth.

The truth.

As I kept my smile on my face, I listened to the words Bruce spoke about Harvey, and felt a slight fear and confusion growing inside me.

"I believe in Harvey Dent," he said. "I believe that on his watch, Gotham can feel a little safer- -" The squeeze on my shoulder got a little tighter at this point. "- -A little more optimistic."

The hand left my shoulder, fully extending it towards where Harvey Dent stood.

"And look at his face," Bruce advised to his guests. "This is the face of Gotham's bright future. To Harvey Dent. Let's hear it for him."

At the end of Bruce's speech, the whole room erupted in a polite applause, praising the name of Harvey Dent. Though I was reluctant and still confused by the feeling something was going on, I clapped too. But the smile on my face was growing a little smaller as I watched my godfather and the District Attorney clink their champagne glasses together, both approving of what was said among the crowd.

In the middle of the living room floor, while everyone was beginning to mingle again, I watched Bruce and Harvey Dent speak to each other. I couldn't make out what they were saying amidst all the chatter around me, but I did see the look in my godfather's eyes.

Alfred once told me that I had a talent for looking into the windows of a person soul-To be able to look into their eyes and see them for who they really were and what they were really thinking.

It was easy to read Harvey Dent. Even behind that smile of his, I knew that he was thinking that Bruce was an idiot and had no respect for the man whatsoever.

Reading Bruce was usually a little more complicated.

But when I looked at how he presented himself...Something inside me told me that there was something hidden behind my godfather's speech that he wasn't telling me.

And it had something to do with Harvey Dent...

Then, all of a sudden, I noticed someone standing next to Bruce, who happened to divert his attention away from Dent, and they began an animated conversation. She was wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue evening dress, with her dark hair put up in a messy up-do, strands falling about her face.

It was kind of funny...If I didn't know any better, I would say that she looked like my Aunt Elaina.

"Guess who!"

Out of nowhere, someone had come up behind me and poked my sides playfully, prompting me to jump about a foot off the ground with a surprised yelp. I turned around, almost a bit ticked that a person would actually do that, and ready to give him a piece of my mind. Who did this guy think he was anyway?

In this case, fortunately, I had to stop myself before I told my "attacker" off...and I smiled, and wrapped my arms around the person's neck excitedly.

"Josh!" I exclaimed.

My cousin, Josh Mason, was actually here! Though I didn't understand why, I didn't care. I hadn't seen my cousin in months, since Summer actually, and I was so glad that he was there. Like most of the other guests, Josh was dressed in a nice dress shirt and pants with a necktie, prepared for whatever boring festivities the fundraiser had to offer. Josh hugged me back as he laughed, pleased that I wasn't as mad at his little joke as I first appeared.

"I can't believe it!" I said excitedly as I broke the hug. "What are you doing here? My birthday's not 'til tomorrow, and I thought you said you were too busy."

The last time I checked, Josh had said he wouldn't be able to even visit Gotham because he and his mom were busy. I understood, but I was really disappointed because I wanted to share my birthday celebrations with them.

To this, my cousin just shrugged with a grin on his face.

"Surprise," was all he said in reply, his grin never even fading.

My only response to that wonderful word was another hug.

"I missed you so much!" I said to him.

"So did I!" Josh agreed. "You should see the look on your face. I've never seen you look so surprised. Your godfather sure knows how to keep a secret."

Wait a second.

I broke the hug once more, staring at Josh with a quizzical expression.

"Wait," I started, confused. "My godfather?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "Since I wasn't going to be able to make it to your actual birthday, your godfather called my mom and arranged for us to be flown in tonight as a surprise."

After Josh explained to me the plan my godfather had carried out behind my back, I looked over to where Bruce was. He was still talking with the woman, who I now know for certain to be my Aunt Elaina. For what seemed to be a good while, I stared at the man I considered my best friend. Even though Josh and Aunt Elaina weren't exactly blood-related, my mother being adopted and all, I still saw them as family and loved them very much, despite our past history.

From just a few yards away from where I stood, Bruce noticed that I was looking his way, and glanced towards me. That infamous smile of his quickly flashed across his face, instantly making me smile back. Silently thanking him for the surprise from afar, I turned my attention back to Josh.

"Yeah," I agreed with him on an earlier comment with a joking tone. "He _**does**_ know how to keep a secret."

Josh never knew how true that statement was.

"Josh!"

Out of nowhere, Kayla and Nathan had rushed up from behind me and attacked my cousin with the strongest hug that almost sent him colliding into a passing caterer. The poor waiter barely got out of the way while holding his tray of hors d'oeuvres, shooting a glare at us before getting back to work on serving the rest of the guests.

Josh, Kayla, and Nathan were like The Three Musketeers when they were together. Over the Summer, they would get into all sorts of trouble, especially when we would hang out at the Farris Mansion. They were the reason Mrs. Farris had to touch up her hair once every three weeks from June to September. On one occasion, they had played a prank on Ally by finding a salamander in the backyard and putting it in her shower right before she got in.

To this day, Ally freaks whenever she sees some kind of lizard. And she can't even hear Kayla's tall tale about the crocodile living in the sewers without chewing her own fingernails.

At one time, they were all hanging out over at the Penthouse, but it was only that one time.

Kayla and Josh dared each other to skateboard upstairs to Bruce's room and back, hoping to do a grind on the staircase railing, and almost found Bruce's secret door to the Bunker. Luckily, in my attempt to stop them before we go into trouble, I was there and had put my back against the wall to stop the door from opening before they could notice.

That was a close call for me, and I still sweat at the memory of it.

While Kayla and Nathan were asking Josh a million questions, Ally came up and stood beside me, her arms folded, almost glaring a little at Josh.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get worse," she muttered.

I shrugged.

"Josh has changed, Ally," I defended my cousin. "Give him a shot."

"If I do," Ally started. "It'll only be because you are my friend, but I still don't get why he has to flirt with me every time I'm within 10 yards of him."

"Ally, it's because he has a crush on you. He really likes you."

Then, all of a sudden, Ally grinned a bit.

"Speaking of crushes- -" she said in a sly voice.

Oh no. Not this again. I rolled my eyes.

"- -You better hurry up and talk with Tyler before Haley gets in the way again," she advised. "I'm not gonna let you blow another shot with this guy. He's too awesome for you to pass up on."

I really didn't like being nagged by my best friends when it came to guys. So I tried to use a method of reverse psychology on her. Bruce sometimes used it whenever I didn't feel like doing something I didn't want to do. I hated it when he did it, but I'll admit, it got results.

"I'll go talk with him if you go talk with Josh for at least 10 minutes," I muttered back to her, still staring at Nathan and Kayla speaking with Josh.

Ally was quiet for a moment, contemplating my offer.

"Can I still call him a troglodyte?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied.

"Deal. Now go flirt."

With a smile on my face, I left my friend's side and began walking among the crowd of grown-ups in the living room. To be quite honest, I really did want the chance to talk to Tyler Jameston again. Despite the fact that Haley Kingston was also here, I felt confidant that I could actually have a conversation with my crush without me fumbling around and looking like an idiot.

Hopefully, I wouldn't act like an idiot.

It took a while, but I eventually found Tyler. He was standing on the other side of the room, with who I assumed to be his mother, in black dress pants and a white long-sleeved button-up shirt. Once I laid eyes on him, my heart was instantly pounding again. For a few moments, I tried to think about what to say to him and actually sound normal.

Normal, here, meaning: "I'm-just-a-regular-teenage-girl-whose-billionaire-godfather-doesn't-secretly-become-Batman-almost-every-night."

...Yeah, that _definitely_ sounded normal.

OK, here goes nothing...

Just as I was on my way over, I passed by my godfather and Harvey Dent, who were still making as much small-talk as either one could tolerate. Bruce stopped for a moment and tried to get my attention

"Excuse me, Harvey," he apologized before turning towards my way. "Sarah, come say 'hello' to Mr. Dent."

Yeah, like I really wanted to do that now.

"Not now, Bruce," I commented, not even slowing my pace towards my crush. "I'm busy."

Maybe my tone wasn't as nice as it could've been. Bruce knew that I didn't exactly have that much respect for Harvey Dent, but he always tried to remind me to keep up appearances in front of people. That meant being nice to people that we disliked a bit and nice to people who generally hated us like the plague. This situation had a little bit of both.

But I let my almost-secret dislike for Harvey Dent slip a little.

Kids my age usually have a parent who's "the fun one" and a parent who's "the strict one".

Even though they weren't married, (I wished they were...), Bruce and Rachel had a mix of both of these types of parents when it came to raising me, just like any other mom and dad.

Tonight, it was Rachel who was the strict one.

She had happened to be near Bruce and Harvey and heard the way I spoke and walked after me. I didn't know she was; I was too busy trying to squeeze past a fat lady holding a purse with her annoying chihuahua and an equally large man who looked like he should've been wearing a monocle with the way he spoke.

All I wanted was just a few minutes to talk to Tyler Jameston. But my behavior had prevented those minutes from happening.

Rachel finally caught me by placing a hand on my shoulder. I was about to irritably ask what she wanted, but I stopped myself before saying something that would get me in even more trouble.

The stern look on her face basically told me that I had to shut up and listen to what she had to say. Her arms were folded across her chest and the lips tightly curled in a slightly upset way basically said it all that I was going to have a hard talking-to.

And I wasn't looking forward to one bit of it.

"Sarah Elisabeth Chante," Rachel started tersely and softly, careful to not draw attention to our conversation from bystanders. "That was rude of you."

Yep. Use of the full name was a definite sign that I was in trouble. All I did was look down at the floor, trying not to fidget in my guilt and impatience.

"...I know," I hated admitting that.

Rachel sighed, closing her eyes tightly for a few seconds before opening them and continuing her scolding.

"Harvey's a good man, Sarah," she explained. "He has nothing but the best intentions for the city. He and your father were very good friends."

Oh great. Here we go. Another "Harvey Dent's a good man" speech. Like I didn't hear enough of those already...

I resisted rolling my eyes out of fear of prolonging the chastisement I was getting. Honestly, I could care less what Mr. Dent's intentions for the city were. He was just a district attorney- -A trend in Gotham City's local politics. And if he and my father were really good friends, how come I've never heard of him until recently? How come my father has never mentioned this really good friend of his?

"I've let your treatment and behavior towards him slide these past few weeks, but this is the last straw. And even though I'm pretty sure your godfather would agree with me, I know that he's not exactly a perfect role model of treating Harvey with decency. Now what exactly is your problem?"

One of the hardest things someone has to explain in their life is why they don't really care that much for another human being. It may seem easy once they spout out ramblings of their reasons, but all of those ramblings tend to be unreasonable ones.

And the only legitimate reason I had for my dislike of Harvey Dent was just my discomfort.

"Well?"

I shrugged before answering, still looking down at the tiled floor beneath my black low-heeled shoes.

"There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way, Rachel," I replied meekly. "That's all."

"After this party is over," Rachel continued. "You're going to go up to Harvey and you're going to apologize for your rude behavior. And it's going to be a sincere one. In the future, I want to see you treat him with as much respect as you give your godfather and I. Understand?"

As much respect as I give to her and Bruce?! I hardly knew the guy to give him even an ounce of it! I looked at Rachel with a shocked expression, my mouth gaping open, and my eyes furrowed in disgust.

"But- -" I tried to get out of it.

Rachel stopped me by putting both of her hands on my shoulder, almost kneeling to look me straight in the eye. This time, her stern face melted into a soft, pleading one, and that was when I knew that I had to apologize to Harvey Dent, no matter how much I dreaded it.

"Please, Sarah," she implored. "For me."

She almost used the exact words Bruce said to me when I asked him last week why he and Rachel couldn't be together. These days, I took it as their way of saying that the discussion was over and shouldn't be talked about anymore. Exhaling in defeat, still fighting the itch to roll my eyes, I nodded.

"Yes ma'am," I submitted quietly.

With a nod of approval, Rachel pulled me closer to her, kissing the top of my forehead.

"All right," her voice relaxed more. "I'm glad we settled this. You can go on now. I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too," I said, still quiet, moving away more slowly.

I felt Rachel's eyes watch me walk away for a few seconds before going back to the rest of the party. Even though I felt guilty, I still didn't like the idea of treating Harvey Dent with better respect. However, I promised Rachel I would do that very task.

With a deep breath, I tried to put that out of my mind for the time being, and get back to focusing on Tyler. I wasn't going to let a scolding spoil the evening. And with the prospect of finally talking with my crush, my outlook on tonight's party was pretty much renewed.

But when I reached to where I had originally saw him, he wasn't there. He must have went off somewhere else while I was talking with Rachel. I stood there for a few moments, trying to think of where he would go.

He probably wouldn't be in the kitchen. Alfred and the catering staff didn't allow children under the age of 18 in there, unless it was an emergency. And the only one who was brave and stupid enough to venture through that forbidden barrier was Kayla.

No one was allowed upstairs either. Of course, that didn't stop the couple that somehow managed to sneak below Alfred's watchful radar...

The terrace outside was open for all, but no one really went out there unless they wanted to be a social outcast for the rest of the night.

"Looking for someone?"

Kayla liked to describe Haley Kingston's voice as something that was similar to the sound of nails scratching on a blackboard.

In my opinion, the nails on the blackboard sounded way better.

Turning around, I begrudgingly faced my pre-teen enemy with a tired look in my eyes. I had forgotten that the Kingston family was invited to this little political party, and were one of the biggest patrons to the fundraiser. Personally, I think they got that way because they wanted to show my godfather that they were just as wealthy as he was, if not, more.

As long as Bruce was the majority share holder at Wayne Enterprises, profit's continued to go up, and other economical advances took place under his watch, the Kingston Family wealth wouldn't hold a candle to that of the Wayne Family wealth.

I know I just sounded like the snobby little heiress that I desperately avoided being, but in the case of Haley Kingston, I'll make an exception.

Haley stood there in front of me with that smug grin on her face, almost like she peeked into the presents before it was even Christmas and was satisfied that she had gotten everything she wanted. Dressed in her pink strapless dress, with the spring green sash, I noticed that her attire was similar to a particular one she wore last year at Bruce's birthday party...

At that thought, I eyed towards where the buffet was...

Dang it. That punch bowl was on the other side of the room.

Plus, I promised Bruce that there would be no repeats of last year, so I had to be on my best behavior.

Treat her as you would treat the other guests or ignore her, he had advised me last week.

I didn't know which was harder: Treating her with politeness, ignoring her, or trying to force a smile that would take a drill to crack on my face.

"Pretty boring party, huh, Haley?" I tried laughing a bit, trying to be nice.

Maybe if we started on common ground, this unavoidable conversation would actually be bearable. Every one of these kids that were unfortunate enough to get dragged here thought this was boring.

To my surprise, Haley smiled.

That's never a good sign.

"Well, it was at first," she scoffed a bit, before going back to that annoying chipper voice. "But, so far, it's been entertaining."

I didn't like the sound of that.

"I mean, I didn't have to pay big money to see Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes-Chante- -"

That's a new nickname. At least it was a break from "Princess"...

"- -Actually get in trouble with her replacement mommy."

Not only did I cringe at the thought of Haley seeing me get in trouble with Rachel, I was insantly boiling with an inner anger at what she called her.

Clenching my teeth, I went from treating her with politeness, to just simply ignoring her.

I was not going to say a word, no matter how much it would torture me.

"And while you were getting busted, I had, like, the best conversation with Tyler. We talked about movies, clothes, the latest trends- -"

_Ignore her_. **_Ignore her_**. _**Ignore her**_.

Haley stopped for a moment, almost waiting for me to interrupt with a snappy comeback. Our banter had a very defined routine, in which I would say something and it would upset it to the point where she's calling her daddy on the phone to fix it. When she saw that I wasn't, that stupid smirk of hers grew even more.

"What's wrong, Princess?" she taunted. "Did someone else in your life die and you forgot to speak again? Maybe they should go back to calling you 'Mute Girl'."

Cartoons always had a funny way of expressing a characters anger, like the classic one where steam would come out of someone's ears. At this point, they might as well be flames in my case.

I was this close to yelling at her in front of everyone, but I had to stop myself when I felt a small stinging pain in the palm of my right hand.

That's when I looked down and saw that I had unconsciously curled up my hand into a tightly balled fist, my nails digging into the skin. It shook a little, waiting for the chance to actually be thrown and collide against a cheekbone; anxiously anticipating the action that would wipe that smug off Haley Kingston's face for good.

And the only thing stopping me was a promise I made to be well-behaved tonight.

So, I did the only thing I could do that wouldn't call attention to myself.

Leave.

Behind me, I could hear Haley actually scoffing and laughing a bit. She had expected me to try and say something back. I guess when I didn't, she took that as a sign that she had won this round. I didn't hear what she said. Probably the same insults she usually said that was always accompanied with laughter.

All I wanted to do at that moment was hide. I didn't want to run to my godfather's side and stay there- -that would have me stuck in having to listen to every boring conversation he would have with the most un-intelligent people in this room.

Staying with Rachel meant being with Harvey Dent for the rest of the night as well, and there was no way I was doing that.

If I could go upstairs to my room, I would, but Alfred was out of the kitchen again, and if I even tried to go up the first few steps of the staircase, I would be on dish duty for a week.

My friends were on the other side of the room. Going back to them meant having to pass Haley Kingston again.

The only place of refuge I could go to was outside on the terrace and that is exactly where I went.

Opening the glass door, I slunked through the threshold quietly. Once outside, I was greeted with a cool breeze that whistled slightly in the wind. It was a comforting feeling as I walked toward the end of the terrace that overlooked the city, resting my elbows on the edge. The few strands of hair that had escaped the confines of my hair-bun blew with the wind, tickling my cheeks.

As I watched the sun go down in the distance, behind the majestic skylines of Gotham City, I tried to not think about what Haley had said to me and about Rachel. It wasn't easy. Actually, it never was. When you first start to get picked on a little at school, sometimes we get it into our heads that we're strong enough to get over it. We get the impression that if we ignore it, it'll go away.

But, sooner or later, our pride gets hurt, and the barbs that were shot at us before start to hurt after thinking that they never would.

The stinging pain in my palm stopped, but I could still see the indent marks my nails had left from the fist I had made.

I couldn't believe I was that close to actually hitting someone. What would Rachel think if I had actually punched Haley across the face? And would Bruce be disappointed at what I could have done?

Taking a deep breath, I decided to close my eyes for a bit, and let the wind blow on my face. After a while, I tried to imagine myself flying- -the greatest experience I will ever have in my life would be flying through the city at night, and I missed feeling it for real so much.

Soon, the barrier of silence was broken. Someone was coming outside as well.

I looked behind me and saw Bruce come outside with his champagne glass in hand.

Groaning mentally, I thought that he was coming outside to scold me for my earlier behavior towards Harvey Dent, just like Rachel had, so I prepared myself for what I suspected to happen.

Continuing to stare at the city before me, trying not to face my godfather out of a bit of guilt, Bruce eventually came up beside me. The first thing he did was toss the contents of his champagne glass over the ledge, dumping the bubbling drink away from his grasp. I smirked a little at that sight. Despite what most people thought about my godfather, Bruce never drank alcohol. Whenever he was in public, he would take a glass, but only pretend to drink it. I asked him why once, and he told me that even the smallest sip could dull the senses and weaken the mind, and he needed both to be at their sharpest every day as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

"What does it taste like, anyway?" I asked, without even thinking.

Bruce glanced at me, staring for a second, before smirking, almost chuckling at my question as he looked back at the city.

"Dry and sour," he answered softly, the laughter in his voice evident. "In fact, I don't recommend it."

Then my godfather looked back at me, a teasing twinkle in his light green eyes.

"Why? Did you plan on trying some tonight?"

A breath of a laugh almost escaped my lips and my face crinkled in disgust at the thought of me drinking champagne and I shook my head. I actually never planned to drink any type of alcohol when I got older. Growing up in the Narrows for most of my life, I've seen the effects it had on people who would drink it. Some grew addicted to it, and a neighbor who had lived a floor below the apartment I lived in with my parents actually died from too much alcohol consumption.

When the small comedic moment was over, Bruce changed the topic.

"Are you doing all right, Sarah?" he asked me, his voice getting softer.

I shrugged, not really wanting to give a definite answer. Of course, this didn't stop Bruce.

"You know...I just saw you a few minutes ago talking with Haley Kingston...And I heard what she said too."

Curse that stupid bat-hearing and League of Shadows training of his! I dumped my head in my hands in embarrassment. If he heard what Haley had said, then it was possible that Bruce knew what I desperately wanted to do. Those finger nail marks on my hand were still there, and my godfather was smart enough to put two and two together and come up with the conclusion that I wanted to punch Haley Kingston.

"I'm proud of you."

Wait...What did he say? Did I just hear that right?

With a bewildered look in my eyes, I looked at Bruce to find him with a small smile on his lips. But I was confused.

"Why?" I asked.

Bruce's smile just grew a little bit more.

"Because you took control of the situation by walking away," he explained. "I know it's not an easy thing to do, especially for kids your age. But you didn't let your anger get the better of you, and when you felt yourself slipping, you walked away...You did the right thing, Sarah."

It took a moment to understand, but something that Rachel once told me last year helped me comprehend what Bruce was trying to say. For the longest time, I always thought that what was inside a person was what counted. One night, while I was staying at Rachel's apartment, I still believed in that value, but was instantly converted to one that spoke more deeply about the human conditions.

"It's kind of like..." I started softly, beginning to remember the exact words Rachel used. "...How it's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you...Right?"

When I said that, Bruce looked at me. From the look in his eyes, I guess I shouldn't have taken it as a surprise that he had heard that phrase before. Maybe even had used that phrase himself. But I had never heard him say it around me. Only Rachel said it to me. I've never forgotten what she said, and I've tried to apply that value to my everyday life.

After a while, a small smile came across Bruce's lips, and he nodded.

"Right," he agreed quietly.

Smiling back, I felt a little better, despite the events this evening had so far produced. I always felt better after talking with Bruce about some things that were bothering me, even though right now, it didn't seem like I could actually do that anymore.

I hope the day comes back when we can talk about everything again.

"So," I let out a breath. "...How long is this thing supposed to be?"

Bruce knew I was referring to the party back inside, so he checked his watch.

"Um..." he thought out loud, taking a bit to determine the time. "It should be over at 10:30."

I groaned out loud. That meant I had to put up with the fundraiser for another two and a half hours.

"Is it just me?" I asked. "Or does Arkham Asylum sound like a rock concert compared to these parties?"

Another laugh came out of Bruce, a little more louder than his usual soft chuckle. This made me smile more and we both looked at each other, still laughing a little.

Then my godfather commissioned me one task that I promised myself I would always follow.

"Don't lose your spirit, Sarah," he implored gently.

"I won't," I promised immediately.

Suddenly, a bit of noise broke the quiet barrier that surrounded us when someone else was coming outside. Bruce and I looked behind us to find Rachel walking toward us. And since she had already scolded me that night, judging by the look on her face, she was coming out to scold only one other person.

And that was Bruce.

"Sarah, sweetie," Rachel started, still walking over to us. "Can you go on inside? I need to speak to your godfather _alone_..."

I stole a look at Bruce quickly, raising my eyebrows with my eyes wide.

"Busted," I said in a low voice.

The only thing Bruce did was give a slight disapproving look before gently pushing me along, motioning me to get back inside. I obeyed, feeling a little prepared to go back to the party after having talked with my godfather. As I walked away, I heard Rachel start speaking to my godfather, her voice getting lower with each step I took further from where they were.

"Harvey may not know you well enough to understand when you're making fun of him," she started chastising. "But_ I_ do."

"No," Bruce's voice slightly carried over the wind. "I meant every word."

That made me slow down in my tracks a bit, but I kept on walking. So...Bruce was actually pretty hopeful about Harvey Dent's plans for Gotham. I didn't understand. Whenever my godfather and I had recently talked about Dent, it was always a bit of a complicated discussion. I guess it was a different kind of complicated than I thought it was.

But something made my heart stop just.

"You know that day that you once told me about?" I barely heard Bruce ask through the wind. "When Gotham would no longer need Batman?"

That was all I heard before the door slammed closed behind me, keeping me back to the party. With a shocked look on my face, I whipped my head around and watched my godfather and Rachel speak to each other through the glass windows.

What did Bruce mean when Gotham would no longer need Batman? When did he and Rachel talk about this? How come Bruce has never told me about this possibility?

I didn't want to go back out there and listen. They would know and I would get scolded at (again...).

If I could read lips I could, so I could hear the rest of the conversation, but I still couldn't believe what I had heard.

Even though the vigilante job was tiresome on him, and he kind of hated coming home and making up stories about how he got some scars and bruises, there was no denying that Bruce kind of enjoyed being someone else at night; someone that was doing good for the city, rather than be someone who just threw money at the problems. Maybe it was the fact that he had actually talked about giving it up once upon a time with Rachel that really shocked me.

But why would he want to give up being Batman?

And what would he give it up for?

I mean, I didn't have a problem with it. Sure, there were times that I was a little worried, but I liked looking outside at night, knowing that my godfather made the streets a little safer. Whenever my friends and classmates would talk about the Batman at school, I would feel proud. Everytime I saw a newspaper that had a headline about the masked vigilante, I'd buy it and save it, relishing the fact that good triumphed over evil once again.

Before I could even make the decision of heading back out there, I saw Harvey Dent go outside for a brief second, and I backed away from the windows before my godfather and Rachel would look in that direction and see me through the windows, finding me spying on them. Quickly, I started in a brisk walk away from the scene, still in disbelief. A few seconds later, I bumped into Kayla on accident, not looking where I was going.

"Oh, sorry, Kay-Kay," I quickly apologized, un-spacing out of my thoughts.

In the middle of apologizing, I stopped, and slouched a little bit, a criticizing look taking place on my face. Kayla's arms were full of snacks that were obviously not being catered at the fundraiser.

"You got in the pantry again, didn't you?" I asked.

A beaming smile spreaded on Kayla's lips as she held up the Oatmeal Cream Pies and Swiss Cake Rolls she had taken from what Alfred called "the forbidden area". Every time Kayla came over the Penthouse, she'd always try to sneak away a snack cake or two, and every time she did, a new wrinkle would appear on Alfred's face.

Judging from her stolen bounty, it looked like she had taken more than her fair share this time.

"Who can resist these things?" she asked, with a mocking evil laugh hidden somewhere in her voice.

"Kayla," I whispered in a lowered voice. "Alfred's gonna find out, and he's gonna burst a vein when he knows it was you! You remember the last time you got on his case?"

"Sarah, come on. He's not going to miss six or seven of these things. And besides- -"

While my friend kept talking, I happened to look behind her shoulder and see Harvey Dent leading Rachel away from the rest of the party. It looked like he was trying to have a private conversation with her.

The newly elected District Attorney kept looking back at the rest of the party and where he found Rachel outside with Bruce. His small, fidgety glances made me grow a little suspicious. Not only did they tell me that he was obviously aware of my godfather's secret desire to be with Rachel, they also told me that Dent was up to something else.

If there was anything I learned from all those romantic comedy movies I've watched with Ally, it's that the guy leading the girl away somewhere private led to one of two things:

One was something we had no idea about because our parents won't tell us.

And the other was something big and life-changing.

And in this case, big and life-changing wasn't good.

Which meant that I was going to do a bit of eaves dropping if I had to find out what was going on between Harvey and Rachel.

But if I was going to do that, I had to move quickly.

"Hold on to that thought, Kayla," I said quietly as I followed them.

"Cool," Kayla gave me a thumbs up before opening an Oatmeal Cream Pie.

Eavesdropping wasn't necessarily a habit or a hobby of mine, but it definitely seemed like it was becoming something I picked up on tonight. I headed toward the back of the room, away from the rest of the party to get a better look. From what I perceived, it seemed like they were heading towards a hallway towards the kitchen that the catering staff wasn't using.

And it looked like there was a table I could easily sneak under without being seen.

I took that chance, ducking to the floor and crawling underneath the cloth covered tables, remaining invisible to the rest of the party. On my stomach, I kind of army crawled to where I knew Rachel and Harvey would be. If Alfred found me under here, he would be appalled at what I was doing, not to mention upset that I was risking ruining my new dress. But, luckily, the butler was on the other side of the room, taking elevator door duty to greet any late arrivals, so I was safe from being caught.

I kept my breathing at a low volume and stopped crawling immediately as soon as I saw a pair of high heels and black dress shoes come in front of where I was and stop.

They were the only things I could see through the 2 inch barrier between floor and tablecloth.

All I had to do was listen.

"You can **_not_** leave me alone with these people," Dent implored desperately.

"The whole mob's after you," Rachel lightly laughed. "And you're worried about _these_ guys?"

"Yeah, well, compared to this, the mob doesn't scare me."

I had to admit, it kind of made me smirk, knowing that Harvey Dent was a little bit more afraid of air-headed elitists donating money for his next campaign than the Falcone Crime Family planning to shoot a bullet through his head. A giggle almost came out, but I covered my mouth to keep from making a noise as Dent's voice got a little bit more serious.

"Them gunning for you makes you see things clearly," he pointed out.

"Yeah," Rachel sounded like she agreed. "I bet."

"Yeah, it makes you think about things you couldn't stand losing...About who you want to spend the rest of your life with."

Uh-Oh.

I _**really**_ didn't like where this was going. Not at all. _Not **one** **bit**_!

Rachel sounded like she thought otherwise.

"That's a pretty big commitment," I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well," Dent said. "Not if the mob has their way."

My mouth hung open like a fish that was caught and ready to be gutted out. Was I about to hear Harvey Dent _**propose**_ to Rachel?! Oh please, let it be something else other than a proposal...

"Don't do that," Rachel said softly, trying to have Dent see the bright half of things.

"All right...Let's be serious, then."

"OK."

"...What's your answer?"

Oh my gosh, I _was_ hearing Harvey Dent propose to Rachel! And not only was he lousy and un-romantic at it, he was proposing right in _my_ Penthouse- -I mean, Bruce's Penthouse!

I couldn't believe it. My heart sank heavily at the thought of Bruce finding out. His heart would be breaking if he was hearing what I was hearing right now. All my hopes for him and Rachel to finally be together seemed crushed under the heels of Harvey Dent's shoes.

But I knew that Rachel liked Dent very much, despite her little knowing of my discomfort around the D.A.. In fact, she liked him a lot. The thing I was more afraid of hearing than anything else in the world right now was her answer.

However, I heard her sigh after a little bit.

"I don't have an answer," she calmly replied.

If I could, I would have actually jumped cheering, but I didn't. I was still under the table, eavesdropping. They weren't supposed to know I was here. But I did let out a quiet breath of relief, and waited for Dent's reaction.

Silence was between them for a bit as he soaked in the situation into his brain, to comprehend what he just heard.

"Well, I guess no answer's a no," he concluded.

"Harvey..." Rachel started softly.

"It's someone else, is it?"

I hope so...

"Harvey- -" Rachel tried to calm him down quietly.

"Just tell me it's not Wayne," Dent pleaded. "The guy's a complete- -"

Wait a minute, was Dent about to insult my godfather?!

Oh, that was**_ it_**! That was the last thing I was going to put up with for tonight! To be quite honest, I always knew Dent was a bit of a whiner, and I knew he didn't like Bruce that much, but I never actually thought he would complain about him to Rachel.

I was about to crawl out from under the table and let him have a piece of my mind, but I stopped before I could even move my hand out from behind the table cloth that hid me.

"What are you doing?!"

For a moment, I thought Rachel had discovered me hiding and eavesdropping on her private conversation, but I noticed something else. Another pair of shoes had entered my view, and from the looks of things, whoever it was was dragging Dent after he was knocked out.

At least, that's what I think happened.

"They've come for him," I heard my godfather.

It was Bruce! And I would have smirked a little at him for knocking Dent out, but I slowly felt my heart start to beat faster when I realized that the sound of his voice was deep...almost growling, even.

And though I had never heard him speak that way before in the past year, I knew that whatever was coming for Dent was dangerous...

Dangerous for everyone...

I heard a few more noises before stopping completely, and saw Bruce's feet quickly move away.

"Find Sarah," I heard him advise Rachel with caution. "Stay hidden."

Growing terrified just by hearing his voice, I badly wanted to follow Bruce to where ever he was going because I knew that I would be safe with him, no matter what was happening. But I couldn't even move. I don't even remember if I was breathing at all.

What was coming for us?

What was going on?

_**BANG!**_

Clamping my hands to my mouth to stop the surprised scream, I stilled my body, afraid that the slightest move would give me away. Some tears of fright welled up in my eyes, but they didn't go far.

And as I prayed for Bruce to come back quickly, a voice reached my ears that sounded like a rusty sawband cutting through metal.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."

...

The Joker had crashed Harvey Dent's Fundraising event...

...

The Joker had broke into the Penthouse...

"Joker..." I whispered to myself in frightened realization.

...

_The Joker was **here**..._

* * *

(**_A/N: Bruce: "Well it's about time you updated! You said you weren't going to let school get in the way! And you didn't keep your end of the bargain!...You know what that means..."_**

**_Me: "I already washed your lamborghini's as punishment for my procastination."_**

**_Bruce *tosses me a rag* "And now you add a coat of wax to each. Get started."_**

**_Me: *sigh* "Fine". *turns to reviewers.* "I'm sorry I hadn't updated in the past few months. I wanted to focus on school, and thanks to an un-merciful art teacher, I got behind in my classes. But now, I passed all my classes. And next semesters schedule as only one class for three days out of the week. So I'll have plenty of time to work on this as well as homework and my film projects for school. They made me editor!"_**

**_Bruce: "Get to work on those cars! And after that, you get started on chapter 15! And if you don't get that done in a month, you're cleaning the cars in the cave!"_**

**_Me: "...And as you can see, my muse is punishing me for focusing on my academic career. Gotta get going. Ya'll know what to do. I hope you had a great winter holiday! Love you all!")_**


	15. Not Expecting The Expected

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

Silence fell upon the entire room. Not a sound escaped from any of the guests. For a moment, I almost believed that they were all dead from shock.

I stayed hidden underneath the buffet tables, breathing as low and as calmly as I could. All I could see from what little view I had was a half dozen feet moving around the room, the intruders and their fiendish gang leader with the cruel, bloody smile rounding up the guests, keeping them from escaping and running for their lives.

The things that I wanted to know more than anything were if my friends, Alfred, and Rachel were all right.

As I debated between the choices of staying still or moving to take a peek, my heart pounded faster than a hummingbird's.

_Thu-thump-thu-thump-thu-thump-thu-thump, _it went_. _Each beat was so loud and felt like volcanos exploding in my chest.

For the first time in a good while, including the time this afternoon when I believed that Bruce was killed, I was possessed with terror and fear. My entire body shook with it. Did I even dare to move at all?

Praying as hard as I could, and with as much faith as I had, I waited for an answer on how to fix this. There had to be something I could do without getting caught.

The only way I could do anything at all was to move, and move quickly. I was no good just lying there, hiding beneath a table full of shrimp cocktails and champagne bottles.

I took a deep breath and started army-crawling once more towards the end of the table. While doing so, I tried to think of a plan on how I would go about the room unnoticed. If I had a clear window in which to run up the stairs or take the elevator without any of those goons seeing me, I could easily make it to Bruce's secret door in his room, and I would be in the Bunker safe and sound.

But I had to know if my friends were all right first. I wanted to know if Alfred was not harmed. I wanted to know if Rachel was safe.

At the sound of a silver platter clattering to the floor, I nearly jumped and gasped out loud, thinking that I had bumped into a leg of the table I hid underneath, knocking something to the floor, but I kept as calm as possible. Licking my suddenly dry lips and swallowing, I tried to even my breathing again as I tilted my head and lowered it to the floor so I could see what was going on.

I didn't get that much in my view, but I could still see whole bodies of most people. Out of the corner of my eye, a group of men, some in costume clown masks and the others in makeshift ones, threw down a guest to the ground trying to pacify the situation himself. unfortunately, it only resulted in him getting kicked once or twice in the stomach. Then I looked toward the elevator.

No! It was blocked by a man with a gun! I couldn't get to there.

And not only that, that same henchman with a gun was eyeing Alfred, threatening him back with his gun to move away.

Poor Alfred...I've never seen him look so pale. So afraid. In all the time that I had known him, I thought nothing would ever deter him. He was one of the strongest men I knew. But looking at him now...he seemed as weak and as fragile and as terrified as the rest of us...

...Terrified...

...He was staring at something in absolute shock. Something so horrible, that in all his years, he had never seen anything like it. Even I was afraid to look at what he was seeing.

Breathing a little more loudly, I followed his gaze to a man that stood just a few feet across from where I hid under the table. Through the legs of people that stood around my small sanctuary, I saw what he looked like that I still remember to this day.

To keep from gasping out loud and giving myself away, I clasped a hand over my mouth to silence myself.

...The Joker looked just as horrifying in person as he did on the television.

As the henchmen knocked down an innocent bystander to the floor, kicking him in the stomach, I looked at this madman closely. He was dressed in a dark plum colored suit, almost too colorful to be socially acceptable at a party. His hair looked greasy and bright green when it hit the lights just right, and that horrible white make-up and red lipstick on his visibly scarred face was caked on, as well as the black make-up that made his eyes dark and without any soul. Needless to say, this kind of appearance was not the way to dress at some party and would not be accepted. But I don't think that was the Joker's most desired wish. I didn't know then, and I'm not sure if I know now, but the Joker acted as though he had no wish for anything at all.

With the way he casually strolled towards a small buffet table across from where I hid, the gun he had scared everyone with swinging back and forth in his hand, this kind of terror that struck the whole party seemed like a normal day for him.

I didn't like it.

"We are..." he paused for a moment, grabbing a piece of the hot-peppered shrimp, trying to see how to announce himself and his men. "Tonight's entertainment."

And with that declaration, he only ate the pepper off the shrimp hor-deurves before tossing it back to the table, completely wasted. Without even skipping a bit, he began to walk towards the center of the living room.

Walking closer to where I was hiding...

"I only have one question..." Joker announced again with a mouthful of food.

With a quiet, frightened gasp, I tried scoot further back from underneath my table, but something was blocking me from doing so.

Another person.

I almost screamed and gave away my hiding place, but I surprisingly controlled my reactions when I realized that Tyler Jameston was hiding under the table with me.

He frantically put his fingers to his lips, his hands in front of my, begging me with his eyes not to be so loud.

He was just as scared as I was...

"Tyler?" I asked in a low whisper.

Tyler just stared back with me, his green eyes still pleading with me and terrified of what was going on.

The other times I had seen Tyler, I would act like a total idiot. I wouldn't know what to say to him, nor would I know how to act around him. On this occasion, however, the only thing that made my heart beat faster was fear, and not because of my crush with this boy.

"...Where is Harvey Dent?" the Joker asked in a demanding tone, his mouth still full with food.

I looked back towards where the tablecloth fell on the other side of the table again, and found that the Joker was standing right near our hiding place. Tyler's breathing suddenly became louder, almost too loud. Snapping my head towards him, I put a finger to my lips, trying to calm him down as he had asked me just moments before.

"What's going on?" he asked in a quiet whisper, looking back and forth at me and the Joker's feet just inches away. "Who is that guy? Why does he want Harvey Dent?"

"I don't know," I whispered back.

Though I didn't like Harvey Dent at all, I didn't wish any ill will toward him. Luckily, Bruce had knocked him out cold and locked him in the pantry, so he was safe.

But as for the rest of us, we were all in terrible danger. Because if the Joker didn't get what he wanted, who knew what was going to happen?

A cough then echoed across the room, and I knew who it was. Later on, I was told that Kayla had a mouthful of a Swiss Cake Roll that she was in the process of chewing when the Joker entered the room, and she had said that she didn't swallow as much as she thought she had. A small bit of velvety chocolate that was still on her tongue somehow slipped down her throat, tickling it in an uncomfortable way.

And that was what triggered the cough.

And the cough had caught the Joker's attention, it had seemed.

Tyler and I watched his feet walk away from our hiding place, and we laid there on our stomachs, listening to what was happening next.

"Go and round up all the kids," was the next casual command we heard.

In an instant, I heard protests coming from all my friends, and even Haley Kingston. I so badly wanted to run out there and stop them, but Tyler held my arm down next to him, keeping me on the floor.

"We'll be caught too," he whispered.

Tyler didn't do this because he was afraid that we would be caught. He kept us hidden from the Joker and his men because he thought that there was nothing that we could do to help.

But I had an idea forming slowly in my head as I listened to my friends shout and even scream as they were dragged to the center of the room.

"Let go!" Josh grunted.

"Daddy!" Ally screamed for her father.

"Get off of me, you creep!" Kayla tried to sound tough.

I laid my head back down on the floor to get a clear look. The Joker had all my friends and Haley Kingston in the center of the room, huddled together. Ally and Josh stood next together, while Ally had her arms around Nathan, protecting her little brother. Kayla and Haley were individually held by their arms by two men, obviously hurting them. Poor Haley's face looked white with horror while Kayla struggled to get away from her captor.

"Let us go, you freakin' mental patient!" she shouted at the man who held her arm.

**_SMACK!_**

Kayla had always been told that her mouth would get her into trouble if she didn't watch what she said around people, but we never thought that trouble would come in the form of a slap across her cheek from the henchman that held her.

"Hey!" I heard Mr. Farris from the other side of the room.

**_SMACK!_**

A henchman had brought the butt of his gun down on Mr. Farris's head for trying to go over and protect his children. Screams and more shouts came from my friends but another gun shot fired into the air had silenced all of that. I don't know who shot the gun, but it brought more fear into the room, this time adding in the lives of my friends at risk.

I never thought that would happen...and it was one of the last things that I wanted to happen.

"Tell me where Harvey Dent is..." the Joker announced to the room again, before waving over theatrically towards the group of children. "...And no harm will come to your little munchkins."

Now he was threatening the lives of my friends if no one confessed to Harvey Dent's whereabouts. And the only people who knew exactly where he was were Rachel and I. With shuddered breathing, I turned back to Tyler, who looked just as scared as I felt.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked me.

I thought for a moment, actually feeling the scratching in my brain for a strategy. It kind of stunned me that Tyler automatically had the impression that I would know what to do about this situation. Someone must have told him that I had been in problems like this before.

Whoever had done that was wrong...I may have had my share of dangerous people in my life, but I was never in a conundrum like this until now.

My thought process ran quickly as to what to do, a few light bulbs going off one by one in my head.

"Do you have a cell phone with you?" I asked.

Tyler's eyes grew wide, and he immediately dug into the back pocket of his black dress pants, pulling out a silver iPhone. A smile flashed on my lips in relief. We could call the police!

But after my crush had dialed 911, our hopes were dashed.

"There's no signal," Tyler said in despair, frantically dialing the phone again.

There _had_ to be! I used my cell phone in the living room many times. Racking my brain for more ideas, I almost panicked as champagne landed right next to where we hid, drops of it actually splashing onto my hand.

"Do you know where Harvey is?" he started interrogating the guests one by one. "Do you know where he is? Do you know where I can find Harvey? I need to talk to him about something. Just something- -a little. Huh?...No."

I watched the Joker's feet through the legs of the party guests move away from our hiding place before looking ahead at the long pathway that was underneath the long row of tables Tyler and I sought refuge under.

Maybe one of them was near the other entrance of the kitchen...

Like I said before: There was no good just staying where I was.

"Follow me," I whispered to Tyler.

I began army crawling once more with Tyler close behind me. Our movement was slow and as silent as possible, half listening to whatever the Joker was saying to the guests, and fully focused on trying to get to where I thought would be a safer place.

Keeping my attention straight ahead of where we were heading as we moved from underneath one table to another, I wondered if the cell phone was getting a signal now that we were in a different part of the room.

"Let me know when we have a signal," I advised quietly again. "But we have to keep moving."

Honestly, I didn't know how I pieced this plan together in under 30 seconds. It just amazed me that it was going through as smooth as possible...

The trick was to not get caught. That would be the bump in our road to freedom.

"You know," we heard the Joker more loudly again. "I'll settle for his loved ones."

"We're not intimidated by thugs," one brave gentleman dared to speak up.

This conversation came to our ears so clearly that Tyler and I realized that in the midst of our crawling, we were passing by the Joker and the foolish man who spoke against the maniac that held all of us at hostage. Ignoring a key piece of advice I had given myself, my crush and I stayed where we were, wondering what this psychotic individual would say in response. I hoped it wouldn't be bad for the old man...

"You know..." the Joker said again, his mouth sounding curious and full of food once more.

_**BANG!**_

Tyler and I jumped as the Joker slammed his hand against the table we hid under, wiping off whatever crumbs that had dropped from the food he was eating. I covered my mouth to keep my gasp from being heard, and Tyler just closed his eyes tightly, praying that we wouldn't be caught.

_**BANG!**_

_**BANG!**_

Each impact of the Joker's hand colliding against the top of our "hiding table" kicked up the intensity of fear in our hearts, making them beat faster than possible. I was afraid. I wanted Bruce here. He would know what to do. He would have a better plan than the one I had in mind.

"You remind me of my father," the Joker pointed out the old man.

A tap on my shoulder from Tyler turned my attention to the two pairs of feet in front of me to the cell phone he held up.

It wasn't much, but a small glowing green bar had appeared on the iPhone, signaling that salvation would be within our reach if we acted now.

"Quick," I waved a hand toward myself frantically. "Give it to me."

Tyler handed me his phone, a calm presence slowly coming onto his face, seeming relieved that we had a chance to call for help.

We had stopped paying attention to what Joker was going to say to the old man that stood up against up, but a deep growl from the clown-like maniac had scared us out of our wits and delayed the dialing on the phone for help. Replacing his casual, almost whimsical tone with a dark and sinister register, the Joker's voice was the perfect example of darkness from the deepest circles of hell.

"_I **hated** my father_."

My palms had sweated profusely in the quiet crawl Tyler and I had taken to escape and stay hidden. The realization that this murderer who had entered my home and was holding everyone hostage, who was holding my friends hostage, threatening their lives, and was standing just two feet away from where I hid threatening another innocent party guest- - It had just came to my knowledge that I was afraid.

It was the way he spoke, the way he moved, and the way he acted that made me want to rush to Rachel or Alfred's side and hide behind them. The quivering high-pitched voice he could easily switch a dark growl was too much for me to hear, and made me want to scream for my godfather.

But the only person I could cling onto who was within my reach was Tyler Jameston. On instinct, I clutched onto his hand while the other was trying to remember how to dial a phone. I shut my eyes closed, trying to imagine myself somewhere else.

And I didn't realize until later, but Tyler had given my hand a squeeze, sharing the fear I had and the comfort that I desperately craved at the moment.

I prayed that the Joker wouldn't find us...

But the prayer would go unanswered, it seemed...

The scratching in my head from earlier wasn't just my imagination...It was real. The chopsticks that had rested in my hairbun were already having trouble staying in all night and were slipping out on occasion. I had thought that Rachel had finally taken care of it earlier, but apparently, they weren't secure enough.

Before I could even notice, a chopstick had fallen out of my hair, clattering onto the floor, and rolled out from underneath the table where Tyler and I hid and out into the open...

_...Stopping right next to the Joker's shoe._

The sound the chopstick had made had echoed so loudly that everyone in the room heard it. Tyler and I froze right where we were hiding, our breaths still for a moment, staring at where the chopstick rolled to.

...It was just a moment.

Grabbing my shoulder, I almost screamed, but Tyler covered a hand over my mouth quickly, jerking his head towards the table ahead of us.

I got the idea. If the Joker looked underneath the table we were hiding under right now, we would be caught. But maybe we had a chance if we moved one table over.

Quickly, we slid underneath the other table. However, we were still at that age where curiosity got the best of us. We couldn't help but look behind us to see if anything would happen. Would the Joker leave the chopstick alone, thinking it was nothing? Or would he look underneath the table where we previously were?

The Joker didn't do either of those things.

**_SMASH!_**

**_CRASH!_**

Our bodies jumped, and we heard some people scream in surprise. What had happened was so abrupt, no one expected it, but at the same time, someone should've saw it coming.

Violently, the Joker had pushed the table over, the plates and champagne glasses crashing to the ground, smashing the clear crystal to pieces and sharp shards of broken glasses, crushing the food that was once offered only 5 minutes ago.

No doubt about it, the Joker knew someone was hiding, and he wasn't going to let them get away easily.

He was going to find us. That was evident to me when I saw his feet move closer to our new hiding place.

And then, I panicked, and only whispered one word to Tyler:

"**_Move_**."

I didn't need to say it again. Tyler and I crawled as fast as we could, forgetting all thought of trying to move quietly and without noise. We didn't care if we made noise. All we wanted was to get away as quickly as possible.

With each table we reached, the tables behind us would be tipped over in an attempt to find us faster, and maybe even scare us. It was like a domino effect, or every step we took set off a bomb hidden in a mine field. Every time that happened, I couldn't help but let out gasps of surprise and fright.

My fear of what was happening was escalating.

In our attempts to escape, my heart dropped at a thought that quickly passed out of my mind as soon as it came. Even if we were able to reach the police with the cell phone, what good would it do now?

And when I thought about Tyler, and how he could get into even more trouble just by being with me, I thought about the danger my friends were in now.

If I couldn't save all of my friends at once, maybe I could save one of them...

Taking a deep breath, I forced my body to stop and stay where I was. Any second now, the Joker would tip over the table and find me, just like I was hoping he would. Tyler didn't even look back, and that was probably a good thing. I didn't want him to try and get me to come with me. I almost cried at the thought of being caught finally, but I cleared my throat a little, stopping the tears that were already filling my eyes.

I had to make myself believe that I was going to be all right. That I would be able to make it through tonight. I forced myself to believe that at the end of tonight, I will be in my bed, safe and sound, going to school tomorrow and celebrating my 13th birthday.

I made myself believe that I was going to live to see my 13th birthday...

Bracing myself, I waited for the inevitable crash that I would hear when the Joker would tip over the table and find me...

...But...It never happened...

...After a few seconds, I slowly assumed that he had given up, and looked at the phone in my hand...

It had 911 dialed in. All I had to do was press the "Call" button.

I took my chance, and pressed the phone to my ear, hearing the dial tone.

And those short 10 seconds of silence and cautious optimism were cut off.

Out of nowhere, almost unexpected (but expected somewhere in my mind...), a hand had gripped my forearm tightly, and with a strong force, pulled me out from underneath the table and out into the open. Bright lights blinded me after being hidden in darkness for a while as I was mercilessly dragged out.

The Joker had found me.

Instinctively, I struggled in an attempt to get away from him. Amid the shouts of protests from my friends that were already captured, I was trying to wrestle my arm away from the Joker so violently, I was afraid that I would rip it out of its socket.

"No!" I screamed out as I was pulled to my feet, my arms now both in the clowns grasp.

"Well," the Joker announced, his voice back to its whimsical nature. "Look who we have here, ladies and gentlemen."

"Let go!" I ripped an arm free, and tried to bolt away.

That attempt didn't work well. Using my still captive arm, the Joker took a step back, and spun me around the room for all to see, forcing me to let him guide me. It was a struggle to keep up with my feet so I didn't slip and fall as I listened to the Joker finish his little "introduction" of me.

"Gotham's very own little Princess."

With a yell of rage, I tried to get away by using my free hand, and turned it into a fist. If I was going to get away, I needed to punch him. At first, I thought it would be successful, but I was wrong.

I seemed to be wrong a lot that night...

Before I could even blink, the Joker had caught my fist, and twisted my arm, spinning my body in front him as he pinned my arm to my back. My yell of rage turned into a small scream of pain, but I stopped it short before it got too loud as my other arm was caught again, held up, showing the phone that was still in my hand for everyone to see.

"Got a little fire in you, huh?" the Joker taunted me.

I kept my mouth shut. There was no way I was going to answer him. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of falling for his attempt to start a "conversation" with me.

"Leave her alone!" I could hear Josh shout louder than my friends, along with Ally screaming "Let her go!"

I still struggled to get away, but not ready to plead for my own life just yet.

"911," I heard something. "Please state your emergency."

With everything happening so fast, I had forgotten that I still had Tyler's phone in my hand and that I had dialed the police.

And the Joker had taken notice too.

"What 'chou got there, sweetheart?" he spoke to me as if I were a toddler.

"Get away from me!" I screamed at him, trying to free myself.

His hand clamped over my mouth to shut me up, but I still screamed a little in protest and tried to rip away from this madman's grasp.

"Now," he almost chastised me as his hand gripped mine that held the cell phone. "I just want to see what you have in your hand. Just let me see..."

I tightened my grip on the cell phone, trying to not let him have it. But when you're a kid, and you're up against a grown-up, they're almost always three times stronger than you are. In my desperation to keep it away from him, the Joker twisted the arm he pinned to my back more tightly, increasing the pain I was already experiencing. A scream was muffled behind the hand that kept me silent, and the phone was pried more easily from my hand.

"There's a good girl," Joker said as he took the cell phone.

After that statement, the cell phone was tossed to the floor in front of me. Then, the arm that once held that same cell phone away from the Joker was pulled behind my back, both my arms now held by this crazy man.

The next thing I know, there was a gunshot. For a moment, I thought I had been shot, and that scared me because I didn't see a gun in front of me, or feel one behind me, and I couldn't feel any pain one would expect. I've never been shot by a gun before, and Bruce had always been so careful about not getting shot, that none of us knew what it felt like to have a bullet rip through your flesh.

Luckily, I wasn't shot, and for a short while I was relieved. But I can't say the same about the cell phone.

The Joker had given a signal to one of his men who held a gun, shooting the phone where it laid, all hopes of calling for help blasted to pieces.

Shards of plastic jumped out of the air as soon as the bullet hit the phone, and some of my friends screamed in surprise once again before the men that held them ordered them to shut up.

I took that as a chance to try and escape one more time.

And since trying to punch him was obviously no good, I did the next best thing.

With all my might, I opened my mouth as wide as I could, and bit down as hard as I could on the hand that kept me quiet.

And if that wasn't enough, I stomped on his foot, bringing the back edge of the heel on my shoe right where his toes were.

A yell of pain sounded from behind me, but I didn't look behind me to see the expression on his face, no matter how much I wanted to. The only thing on my mind was to get away as quickly as I could.

While my captive friends were shouting encouragements to run away from the Joker, I didn't have to think twice on what to do next. If I bolted now, I could make it to where Alfred was and I'd be safe.

But my freedom was short-lived.

I had only just begun to run when I was stopped by a stinging pain at my head. Grabbing the hair of my head, I was roughly pulled back to the Joker. Yelling out a short scream, I grabbed at the back of my head, trying to loosen the grip he had on me as I was forced to come back. I did everything I could. I clawed and scratched at his gloved hands and his arms, but it was no use.

Suddenly, the room was spinning. Not "spinning" like I was about to pass out or anything- -The room was spinning, meaning I was being spun around. Everything happened so fast that for a few seconds, everything I saw was a blur.

The next clear vision I had would haunt me forever.

Stopping abruptly, I found myself, for the first time that night, face to face with the Joker himself.

Being held by the back of my neck, forcing me to look at him, I couldn't turn away even if I was able to.

Though my arms were free, they couldn't move. I was frozen where I stood.

...I couldn't tear myself away from the monstrous face that was staring back at me.

There were many things that I could say about his face that scared me. For one, his eyes were so dark, that the black make-up covering them made them seem like two bottomless pits. The white make-up that was caked around his entire face gave him a ghostly presence from the moment he entered the room.

But the one thing I could not stop staring at was his mouth.

Just like in Celia's horror story she told us over the weekend, they were blood-red and jagged; deeply chapped and scarred...very scarred, going all the way up on both sides of his face from the corners to the bottom of each ear lobe...

...Depicting a very cruel and terrifying painted smile, even if he had frowned...

At this point, my heart was pounding a mile a minute and I was feeling a little dizzy, but I tried to breathe as calm as I could. I was so frightened that I didn't even see the blade of the knife the Joker had pulled from the inside of his purple coat pocket.

When I did see it, I didn't move. I was afraid that if I did, one minor step could result in getting badly cut. But my breathing was more rapid and more loud, that my chest was heaving in and out.

It took all that I had to not scream...

The edge of the blade rested on my cheek, the metal cooling the heat that had taken over my face. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, my gaze not breaking away from the Joker's as I breathed deeply through my nose, trying not to be afraid of the knife that was held against my face.

He held me so close to his face that to this day I can still remember what his breath smelled like...

...And I remember wondering if that was death and fear really smelled like.

"OK, stop," A firm voice sounded from the crowd.

My eyes grew even more wide when I realized who had spoken up before the knife could begin digging into my face. It was Rachel. From where I stood, I watched the Joker's eyes flicker up towards where Rachel stood behind me, paying close attention to the change of interest he had from me to the woman who was stepping in to save my life.

Roughly, I was pushed away. From the sudden movement, I let out a shuddered breath, fearing that the Joker was about the cut my face with that knife of his, but he didn't. He seemed to have forgotten all about me as soon as he laid eyes on Rachel.

Then my fear turned into anger, and I was becoming protective of Rachel. I didn't want the Joker to go anywhere near her. I didn't want him to hurt her.

"No..." I tried to shout, but my voice seemed too quiet, like I had forgotten how to speak.

When I moved to get to Rachel, two henchmen came out of nowhere, grabbing my arms, holding them so tightly that it hurt. I tried not to struggle too much because of the pain in the arm the Joker had twisted earlier, but I was going to fight as much as I could to get away from them. For now, I was forced to stay where I was-forced to watch the Joker go towards Rachel.

"Well, _hello_ beautiful," the Joker taunted.

The pocket knife still in his hand, the Joker pushed back his green tinted hair that had fallen in front of his face as he strolled towards Rachel, almost like he was grooming himself to make sure he looked good in front of a girl he was trying to impress. Rachel's eyes quickly glanced at me, trying to see if I was going to be OK or not. I tried to be strong for her and for my friends and for Alfred. I tried not to look scared or confused or unsure of what was going on. I didn't want to be scared. Not now.

After looking at me quickly, Rachel glanced back to the Joker, and crossed her arms in a defensive way. It almost looked like she was prepared for anything the Joker had up his sleeve...I had hoped desperately that she was.

"You must be Harvey's **squeeze**," the Joker declared with an accusing point of his knife towards Rachel as he came closer to her. "Hmm?...**And you _are_ beautiful**."

His voice was getting that dark deepness that I shuddered at so much again, but I kept watching what was happening. As the Joker circled Rachel, almost sizing her up and down to decipher what kind of woman he was up against, I heard the shuffles of some party-goers behind me as they were forced by the henchmen with guns to move to the other side of the room, threatened that if they moved towards Rachel or I to help or to break out in a run, it would end badly.

I watched Rachel shift her gaze towards the floor when she realized that she had let the Joker circle her too long. Her shoulders bunched up, her body almost creeping away from the maniac that gazed at her. I craned my neck to try and look at her, but the Joker was in front of her now, obstructing my view.

"Oh, you look nervous," he spoke to her as if she was a child. "Is it the scars?"

If the Joker had asked me that, he would have been right.

Yes...yes, it was the scars that I found to be the most terrifying thing about him. It took all of my strength to not just stare at that jagged and wrinkled face of his that dubbed him the nickname my friends had called him: "The Man With The Bleeding Smile".

Now I understood Celia's fear...

"You wanna know how I got 'em?"

I looked at Rachel, waiting for her to answer him. Say no, Rachel I begged in my head. Please say no. Don't encourage him. Please!

Rachel said nothing to answer him, just like I had prayed for. But it seemed like the Joker didn't care if he received an answer from her or not.

He was going to tell the story anyway.

"Come here."

Just like he had done with me, the Joker grabbed Rachel's face, holding the knife to her cheek like he had done to me, moving her closer to him.

"Get away from her..." my voice got louder, but not enough for it to be shouting, struggling more to free my arms from the two men that held me.

I was ignored by the Joker, but Rachel tried to look at me and attempted to get away from him so she could get me, but it was a battle for her. It was hard to move when you were being threatened with a knife close to your face.

"Hey," the Joker whispered to her as she struggled, barely audible for me to hear. "Look at me...So I had a wife, who was_ beautiful_- -like you. Who tells me...I _worry_ too much. Who tells me I oughta _smile_ more...Who _gambles_ and gets in **_deep_**- -with the sharks. Hey...One day, they carve her face."

It was clear that anyone who was listening to the Joker hung on his every word when he told the tale of how he got those horrific scars. Rachel's expression didn't change, but she stopped struggling when she realized it was useless at this point. Despite my cringes at the mental picture of a woman's faced scarred, and the fact that the Joker had a wife, I still attempted to free myself from my captors, wanting to help Rachel...even though there was probably nothing I could do to help her.

"And we have no money for surgeries," the Joker continued. "She can't take it...I just want to see her smile again. Hmm? _I just want her to know that I **don't** **care** about the scars_."

He really sounded like he had cared for this woman who was his wife, with a quiver in his voice that almost sounded like he was about to cry at the mere memory. If he wasn't a crazy psycho to begin with, I would have felt sorry for him. But all I wanted was to get to Rachel.

She tried to look at me again, but the Joker pushed her attention back towards him, roughly digging his fingers into her cheek.

"So...I stick a razor in my mouth, and do this..." I could tell from where I stood behind him that he was licking his scarred lips. "...To myself."

...That had to be one of the most horrifying things I had ever heard at that point. I stared in disgust and fear at the Joker...

I wanted to say that he was insane, but my voice seemed like it had disappeared, so all I could do was breathe.

Just breathe.

"And you know what?..._She **can't** stand the **sight** of me_!...She _leaves_..._Now_ I see the funny side..."

The maniac raised a hand away from Rachel, releasing her entirely, presenting himself with his arms raised out.

"_Now_ I'm always smiling."

Seizing her chance, Rachel planted a fist into the Joker's stomach, pushing him away from her as she glared at him. She was obviously disgusted by the story, and I didn't blame her. So was I. A burst of energy went through me as I struggled one more time, more violently, to get free, but it didn't work.

After he had doubled over in pain, the Joker began laughing a bit, somewhat in surprise at Rachel's strength and guts, I suppose. From where he was, I could've easily kicked his butt and knock him to the ground, but he moved away from me and towards Rachel again.

As I struggled, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye...

Something quick, almost invisible...

...Something **_dark_**...

Suddenly, I heard a slight _whoosh_ sound, and the grips on my arms were loosened...and then they were gone. With a confused look on my face, I looked to my left and then to my right then looked down at the floor around where I stood as I heard the sound of bodies crumpling to the floor.

Finally free from the grasp of evil men, I should've taken off running right then and there, but all I could see was the unconscious bodies of the men who held me back from getting to Rachel. In the few short seconds I had of trying to figure out what was going, I saw two small, thin needles that looked like tranquilizer darts...

Then again, most darts didn't look like...bats?..

"A little fight in you," I heard the Joker while I thought about what was happening.

...If those tranquilizer darts looked like bats...Then...

...Wait a minute...

..._Where was Bruce_?

Slowly, I turned around from looking at the unconscious men on the ground to where the Joker and Rachel were, just feet away from me...

"I like that."

That's when I realized that there was someone else in the room, who was responsible for those tranquilizers...

...Someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Then you're gonna love**_ me_**," I heard the remark from a very familiar guttural tone.

By the time I had turned around completely, my eyes were wide and my mouth hung open a little in surprise, and I was once again frozen on the spot where I stood as I watched the Joker get pushed away to the ground by a quick punch that was so powerful, it could only be delivered by one person.

"Batman?" I asked in a whispered surprise.

**_...The Batman was here._**

I didn't even notice he was here. How did he get there so fast when a few seconds earlier, he wasn't even there?

But one thing for certain was that as soon as people realized he was there, all hell broke loose in the living room of the Penthouse.

Instantly, the henchmen from all over the room stopped paying attention to the guests and quickly moved to where the commotion was. They didn't even take notice of me just standing there, watching the fight.

One by one, they went after the Batman, with no success as punches and kicks and shouts of rage in attacking echoed across the room.

It was just how I remembered...

I know I should've backed away and gotten away at the moment, but I couldn't. I was just in awe.

Rachel quickly moved to the side, away from the fight between Batman and half a dozen men in clown masks. Reality coming back to me quickly, I took a few steps back, still watching the fight.

At this point, my friends were released from their hostage circle and came up towards where I was, watching with me. I didn't see their faces because my eyes were glued to the scene that played out before me, but I imagined them to be just as shocked as mine was. Ally had seen the Batman once before, but she had never seen him in action before like I had. Actually, I doubt even five percent of the people that were in this room really saw him in action before. Kayla probably felt like it was watching one of those action movies she loved so much. Josh and Nathan and Haley hung back a little, letting two of my best friends at my side.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a hand lift the cloth on the table beside me, wondering what was going on.

I was glad Tyler was still safe...

"It's _him_," Ally said in surprise as she watched the fight with me. "...It's _really_ him."

"Go Batman!" Kayla immediately shouted in excitement. "Smash their faces in!"

"Quiet Kayla!"

Swallowing a bit, I didn't say anything to disapprove of Kayla's inappropriate encouragement. I was too busy remembering something while I watched the Batman bring down any man that came after him with a single punch...

Bruce Wayne was Batman.

Batman was Bruce Wayne.

_**Both**_ men were my godfather.

And even though I knew he could handle himself against incredible odds, I began to grow a bit fearful for his safety...

I was right to be afraid.

After Batman had knocked down another lackey, one henchman got lucky, throwing a right hook across his face, completely throwing him off. My still-open mouth opened a little bit more in surprise...I had **_never_** seen someone land a punch at the Batman until that night...

...Until that night, I thought he was invincible...

I watched as my masked godfather went to the ground on his knees. Before he even tried to get up and start fighting again, the man who had punched him moved behind him, holding him as tightly as he could. While I waited for the Batman to fight back, bringing himself up on his feet while wrestling with the man who was holding him, my friends and I saw the Joker come running towards him, trying to kick him. There was nothing I could but watch.

It was a horrible feeling to have just standing there, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help my godfather. Some part of me knew that he was going to be all right, and then I heard a small _click_.

Quickly, I glanced to the ground, and my eyes widened in horror.

A blade of a knife had popped out of the Joker's shoe.

Putting two and two together, I glanced at the Batman, finding my voice for the first time since the Joker came that night.

"Look out!" I screamed at him, my friends jumping at my sudden outburst.

But I was too late.

I didn't see the blade stab him through the suit because I shut my eyes, but I did hear my godfather yell out in pain. And I never wanted to hear it again in my life. Ally and Kayla grabbed hold of my shoulders, almost holding me back in a way in case they thought I would go nuts and try to help. I knew that if I tried, they'd keep me safe. So I stayed where I was, eventually opening my eyes to see what was going on again.

To my relief, the Batman was fine. He was up and throwing the guy that held him back off of him, twisting his arm and kicking him to the ground.

However, to my horror, I couldn't say the same thing about Rachel.

When I looked over to my right, out of reflex, I saw her captured by the Joker, his arm wrapped around her neck, positioning her in front of him while she struggled a gun pointed at her head.

"Rachel!" I moved toward her.

"Sarah, no!" Ally protested as she and Kayla tightened their grips.

I kept my gaze at Rachel, trying to figure out what to do...Whatever happened...

...I just...I didn't want it to be the last time I saw her _alive_.

I was afraid that I was going to lose another mother when I saw the Joker hold the gun near her head, having her in his grip.

"Drop the gun," I heard the Batman behind me order in his raspy voice.

"Oh sure," the Joker replied, taunting him as Rachel struggled. "You just take off your little mask, and show us **_all_ **who you really are. Hmm?"

Taking in a deep breath, and seeing Rachel slightly shake her head at the Batman, quietly telling Bruce not to reveal himself in front of everyone, even if it did mean her life, I looked at the Caped Crusader, quietly begging the same.

Batman just stared at Rachel and Joker, keeping his dark persona unmoved by the Joker's request. Usually, it was hard to tell what he was thinking, but something in my heart told me that he would consider doing so after remembering the bit of conversation I had overheard earlier that night.

**_BANG!_**

**_SMASH!_**

I whipped my head toward the earth-shattering sounds I heard, and my eyes widened in fear at what I saw, that I almost tried to break free of my friends' protective grips.

While I had been distracted with my own thoughts, a bullet shot by the Joker's gun had cleared the window behind the Joker and Rachel, and he was now holding her over the ledge, threatening the possibility of her falling to her death.

And it would've been a horrible death for me to witness.

_Please..._I prayed._ ...Not her...Don't let her die...Not now..._

"Let her go," Batman growled deeper.

I looked at the Joker, actually wondering what his answer would be.

That murdering psychopath actually gave Batman a look, like if he was really wondering if the Winged Avenger's command was a serious one.

And then I realized what the Batman had asked...

...And realized where Rachel was...

"Very poor choice of words," the Joker reprimanded in his quivering, laughing voice.

And with a cruel laugh, he let go of Rachel.

I saw her fall out the window, and out of my sight, hearing her scream.

"No!" I shouted in despair, tears starting to fall immediately. "No!"

If the thought of Rachel falling to her death wasn't enough, I saw a black figure rush past me and out the window.

Batman had jumped out to get Rachel.

...**_Bruce_** had jumped out to get Rachel.

"No!" I broke free of my friends grasp, going to the open window pane. "_No_! **_No_**!"

Standing at the side of the broken window with the wind blowing past me from the night sky outside, gazing at the slope of the building from which they had fallen on and off, I could hear Rachel's screams echo through the air.

_She was gone..._

_...Bruce was gone..._

...I didn't know what to think...

I felt completely numb.

"Sweetie," a hand grabbed my shoulder, accompanied by a chilling voice. "I'm gonna need you to come with me for a bit."

Before I knew it, an arm had wrapped around my waist, and I screamed as I was being lifted off the ground mercilessly by the Joker himself. Immediately coming back to my senses, I started kicking at the air, trying to get away as I was carried towards the elevator, the henchmen rushing towards it, some dragging their unconscious counterparts. Some of my friends tried to come after me. Ally and Kayla attempted but were stopped by the pointing of a gun at them.

"Get away from her!" Josh tried to run towards me.

Even Josh was stopped. My brave cousin was pushed violently to the ground in an effort to come to my rescue, colliding into a table before falling to the ground.

"Josh!" I saw Aunt Elaina rush towards her son as I was nearing the elevator.

"No!" I screamed at the Joker, struggling in his grip. "Let go of me! Alfred!"

I reached my arm out towards Alfred who was standing near the elevator the whole time, trying to reach his outstretched arm, but the Joker pointed a gun at him, warning him to not come any closer.

"Ah-ta-ta-ta," he taunted in a sing-song voice, waving the gun to and fro in a playful way before pointing the barrel of it under my chin. "Anyone here follows us, and you'll never see your little princess again."

Alfred's horrified expression was the last thing I saw before the elevator doors closed. I kept on struggling with all my might, even though I had no chance of escape while in the elevator.

"Get away from me!" I screamed at him. "What do you want?!"

In a flash, the Joker's gloved hand gripped my face, pushing my lips together, squeezing my cheeks painfully. I grew more terrified by the second as I gripped his arm, trying to loosen the pressure and the pain he was inflicting on me. All I could see was the Joker's taunting look, as he spoke to me, as one would speak to a child.

"I want to know where Harvey Dent is," he chastised slowly in that sing-song voice of his. "...**_You're_** going to tell me where he is."

Before I could let that sink into my brain, the elevator had reached the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, the men rushed out, letting the Joker and me in his tight grip go last.

I didn't know what would happen if I told the Joker where Dent was...Would he let me go?...Or would he kill me?

What would he do if I lied?

Keeping the doorman at the Gotham Century Towers lobby where he was so that he wouldn't interfere, I was dragged kicking and yelling outside where a car was waiting, and the back door was opening.

There was no way I was getting into that car without a fight.

"Help!" I shouted to anyone who was listening, while planting my feet against the car, trying to stall. "Somebody!"

"Sarah!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

"No!" I heard another one yell in protest.

No, it couldn't be...Could it?

I looked towards where I heard those voices, and sure enough, there was Rachel and the Batman, both alive, just coming off the hood of a car they had fallen onto.

Hope for a rescue was returning...

"Batman!" I screamed at him.

But in my break of struggling, I was pushed into the car, still kicking and screaming, just as the Batman was running after, trying to rescue me.

I was taken by the Joker.

* * *

_**(A/N: Me: "Happy Valentines Day everybody! Not only is this new chapter my gift of love to you all, it's also a gift to show an appreciation to my muse. And since I didn't wait another two months to update, and I've written this DURING my classes, and while I was waiting for the train in freezing snow to the point where I couldn't feel my fingers...*holds out hand*...I'm waiting."**_

_**Wayne: *reluctantly hands over keys* "I want it back by tonight. Fill up the gas before you get back. Premium. Not regular."**_

_**Me: "Thank you, Wayne. You're awesome!" *goes off to masquerade dance with friends***_

_**Wayne: "I see one scratch on that car, you're going to update two chapters in a week! Do you hear me?!" *turns to reviewers...and smiles* "Yeah, don't tell her I said this. I** **still want her to have a healthy dose of fear of me. She really has been working hard. She just had her directorial debut organizing a news broadcast for her college, and she's been really excited about working on it. She's also been really stressed with school cause of class assignments that keep her up at night, and the commute nearly kills her, but...She's really excited about this story, and she's getting a system down to try and update more regularly so she can get the third story up and running by this summer at least. She says she has a surprise for you all when she finally does get the third story up and running. She won't tell me what it is...but I trust her. Which is why I let her have the car for tonight so she can go to a masked dance with her friends. That's my Valentine's Day gift to her."**_

**_Me: *comes back in* "Forgot my purse..." *looks around. "...What's going on?"_**

**_Wayne: *clears throat* "Uh, nothing..."_**

**_Me: "...Whatever, listen. Before I forget, is it OK if the girls and I stop by a drive-thru somewhere and eat in the car on the way to the dance?"_**

**_Wayne: "No. You know the rules. No eating in the Aventador."_**

**_Me: "Oh...then this would probably be a good time to let you know about the chocolate milkshake stain on the passenger seat..."_**

**_Wayne: *glares at author before turning to reviewers* "You guys can go ahead and review...")_**


	16. A Godfather's Ponderings and Fears

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

This particular entry that follows the kidnapping of Sarah Chante by the Joker is not written by Sarah Chante herself...

...It's written by me:

Bruce Wayne.

Normally my goddaughter is the one who writes down her own perspective on what happens during my time as the Batman. I've seen her a number of times write in that black leather journal I gave her a year ago, and it's not hard to figure out what she writes in them. Of course, I respect her privacy. I don't read the journal and I never have. I've been told by Alfred that a young girls journal is where she keeps her innermost thoughts and secrets that no one, not even her closest friends or her parents or even her guardians, will know.

One of my most treasured memories of Sarah Chante is just watching her write in her journal. From the moment I've given her that journal, I would see her write in it, almost daily. There were times when I would walk by her room, catching a glimpse of her lying on her bed, writing with a flow that I could never fathom or master myself. Other times, when I would be working late in the Bunker and it was the weekend, she'd keep me company, sitting on the floor with a pen in her hand and the journal in her lap. And, if I am also correct, she writes her entries like a writer would write a story. She treats her journal like an audience- -A reader of books, just like her. Her English teacher at her school has been able to prove this as well from the creative writing papers the students turn in.

Usually you, the reader, will hear Sarah's side of the story. But after what happened tonight, I don't think she plans on remembering the events that took place since the time of her abduction by the Joker...

...I don't blame her for not wanting to remember.

So, I'm writing down my experience because I'm told that a story cannot have a missing piece- -Every detail counts. Nothing can be misplaced or forgotten. For a story like this, it's unfortunate, but, nonetheless, necessary. Understand in advance that I'm not a writer myself. That talent belongs to my goddaughter. This entry is only a recording of my thoughts because Sarah, at the moment, is unwilling to share her own.

To begin, I have to tell you what happened from the moment I jumped out the window to save Rachel.

A sudden drop from one point to another is an overwhelming experience. In my case, as the Batman, as soon as I broke mine and Rachel's fall on a car, the end result was an overwhelming feeling of relief.

So much ran through my mind as I fell through the air with Rachel screaming in my arms, terrified that we were falling to our death. But I couldn't remember any of it once we had landed on the hood of a parked car. All I could think of was that we were alive and we were safe.

Unscathed and unharmed.

And, miraculously, without any broken bones.

But more importantly, Rachel was all right. I made sure of that when I put her in front of me, having her land on my chest rather than on top of the car itself.

We both let out sighs of relief and as she caught her breath, I wanted to make sure she was OK before anything else.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

I made sure I spoke in my Batman voice, as Sarah once described. In the year that I have protected Gotham City from the criminals and the corrupt, I never knew how differently I spoke until Sarah unintentionally pointed it out.

Over the Summer, my goddaughter had to get her tonsils out and was advised by the doctor to not speak as much after the surgery. For a whole week, she had communicated through notepads and hand motions that I had consistently teased her about it. She would just playfully glare in reply. In the end, her friend Kayla had said a comment that got Sarah to respond. I was nearby when I heard it and listening to her sore throat that made her voice raspy made me realize that that was how I sounded like when I became someone else.

Even though Rachel knew about me being the Batman, I still spoke in that voice.

Between the deep breaths that she took, Rachel looked at me, almost smiling through those beautiful brown eyes of hers.

"Let's not do that again," she replied.

At least her sense of humor was still intact. I would've laughed and smiled myself, but it only came out as an exhale of breath. All I wanted to do was look at Rachel.

That was all I wanted to do at that moment.

Suddenly, her eyes grew a little wide in panic.

"Is Harvey OK?" she asked me.

"He's safe," I replied softly.

Relief coming to her once again, Rachel relaxed in my arms.

"Thank you," she breathed.

While my heart dropped to my stomach at Rachel's concern for Harvey, I was relieved that everything was all right now. Slowly and carefully, I kept thinking optimistically as I helped her to her feet, the both of us now getting off the crushed car.

But nothing prepared me for what would happen next...

...I swore up and down that I thought she would be safe. I had every right to believe that she would be all right with Alfred.

To my shame, I had no idea that once my back was turned and the moment I jumped out that window, that my goddaughter would be an open target.

At the sound of guns shooting, I tugged Rachel closer to me, moving her off the street by instinct as the civilians around us moved to find cover. We watched from the other side of the street in a dark shadow, concealed from the Joker and his men. A black SUV had been parked outside the Penthouse building, waiting for them to get in.

And then I saw them dragging out someone small with them, struggling to get away from the Joker's men. They had her held by her arms, and she was refusing to get in the back of the car, planting her feet firmly on the side of the door.

At first, I thought it was one of Sarah's friends, and I was getting ready to go after them.

But I stood frozen on the spot when I recognized the screaming and shouting...

As did Rachel.

"Sarah!" she screamed out from beside me.

"No!" I yelled out.

Hearing my voice, even from far away, my goddaughter snapped her head towards where I was. I could see the look in her eyes and the glimmer of hope and relief twinkle right back at me. For a moment, I saw the confidence that I had always seen make an actual physical appearance.

All that changed as soon as I started to bolt after her and the Joker's men that held her. Before I could even reach for my belt to throw something- -a batarang, smoke bomb, anything- -,Sarah was pushed into the back seat of the black SUV, still struggling and screaming, and the car took off, the tires screeching and leaving marks on the road.

If I had been Bruce Wayne at the moment, there would have been nothing that I could do, and I would've had to just stand there, feeling useless.

I would have had to feel like I had failed in keeping my promise to my goddaughter on the matter of keeping her safe...

But that was not the case...

That would not be the case.

Part of being Batman allows me to act and think quickly.

I grabbed for a tracker in my utility belt as Rachel rushed toward my side, worried about what was going to happen to her goddaughter.

Worried, just like a mother, about what would happen to _my_ goddaughter.

"Why did he take her?!" she shouted frantically, strands of her hair falling in front of her face. "What does he want?!"

"I don't know," I growled deeply, setting the tracker on.

While I waited for the few seconds the tracker would take to triangulate the car they were in, I reached for a grappling gun.

"What do we do?!" Rachel asked, still worried.

"I'm gonna get her back," I replied quickly to her. "Go back upstairs, call the police. Alfred will know what to do."

She didn't question me more about Sarah's safety, or how I was going to get her back. Rachel seemed to know, seemed to believe, that our goddaughter would be brought back home as quickly as possible. Trying to hurry past bystanders who were trying to figure out what was going on, I shot the grapple hook in the air, going off the ground like a bullet, before I let go, and opened the cape that was once draped loosely across my back, now frigid like wings, giving me the ability to fly.

I gazed at the road and the many cars below me, listening to the constant beep sound the tracker emitted.

I had created this particular gadget just for Sarah's protection and I'll tell you why:

Last year, when Sarah first came to live with Alfred and I, and while I was trying to figure out how I would protect the city, I was also struggling with how I would be able to keep her safe. On the night of her first day of school, after a fight she had been in with her cousin, I came to check on her to see how she was doing, only to find her gone. She wasn't in her bedroom or anywhere in the mansion. I was frantic, searching everywhere with Alfred. At first, I thought she had run away. That first week for her was a struggle for her, and I was trying everything to make it better, even though I had no clue about what to do.

After about an hour of searching the grounds that night, I found Sarah in the garden, curled up next to the well I fell in as a child, fast asleep. I didn't question why she was out there in the first place or why she fell asleep out there. All I could think about how relieved I was when I found her safe and sound as I wrapped my coat around her and took her inside.

But I remember thinking that I didn't want her to go missing and I didn't know where she was again.

While I thought about how to keep her safe, I was in the cave that same week, making batarangs. After I had tested one, I went to go get it out of the wall, when something gold shimmered on the ground. I realized that it was Sarah's locket, and that's when I knew how I could protect her.

The locket was easy to fix. Hiding a microscopic tracker within the hinges was easier.

From then on, I was able to find Sarah no matter where she was. The only exception was when she was taken to Arkham Asylum by her Uncle, and the entire building was lined with lead, interfering with the trackers signal.

I could only hope that the car she was in with the Joker was not lead-lined.

The tracker's beep grew a little more rapid in it's beat as I flew closer. That meant that I was heading in the right direction.

The beep grew louder...faster...faster and louder.

**_SMASH!_**

A window from a car a few meters away from me was shattered. My eyes glancing towards where it was, I was able to catch a leg, scratched with broken shards of glass, leaving blood on them as it was pulled back in the car.

_Sarah..._

I zeroed in, and dropped on the roof of the black SUV, keeping my balance while it swerved from left to right from the sudden noise it made, going off of the highway and towards where the shipping yards and Amusement Mile were.

Then I got to work.

With a snap of my wrist, a blade shot out of from where it hid, aligned with my arm, and I stabbed the blade onto the hood of the car, beginning to cut it with as much strength as I could muster. I expected gun shots to shoot through the roof, trying to throw my concentration off. Despite my strength and the sharpness of the blade in my hand, it was harder than it may seem to others to cut open the roof. I attempted to do the same thing last week in my pursuit of Crane and some of Maroni's men, and it eventually threw me off of the van completely.

Something similar to that took place in my pursuit of the Joker that night.

I don't know what happened inside the car, but it started to swerve violently to the point where it was driving on two wheels.

Eventually, it started to tumble off the road.

I had managed to jump off the roof, but as I landed and watched the black SUV tumble over and over, my heart pounded up to my throat and then down to the pit of my stomach in fear.

...For a moment, I thought Sarah was badly hurt...or worse...

But that fear was dissipated as soon as I saw someone struggle to get out of the crumpled backseat of the SUV. Through all the smoke and broken glass, I felt my eyes widen when I saw Sarah dragging herself out of a smashed window. Her hair that was once put up in chopsticks was now falling out in messy strands, and blood streamed down her leg from smashing it through the window in her assumed struggle. She looked frightened at what was happening of what had happened in the past ten minutes. While I wanted to make sure all her physical injuries would keep from getting even more damaged, the one thing I wanted to take care of first was to get her out of there. I started to rush forward.

"Don't move!" I growled, running toward where she was. "Stay right there!"

Sarah sharply looked up to where I was on the other side of the road, her eyes still wide with fear, trying to catch her breath.

I remember the first time she looked at me the same way when I first started being Batman. Despite my goddaughter's exposure to the Batman, she never lost that hint of fear in her eyes. To a child, especially a young girl, someone as dark and potentially scary as the Batman can be approached with caution, even though she knew that I started being Batman to protect the city and the people closest to me.

The only thing that ran through my mind right now was to get her home. By now, I could hear the Tumbler reach where we were, driven by an autopilot program I had installed a few months ago. Pretty soon, we'll be back home, where we'll be safe.

Where _she'll_ be safe.

But all of those plans seemed in critical danger of being delayed.

"Batman!" my goddaughter screamed. "Behind you!"

_...Always mind your surroundings..._

That was the lesson that I usually failed to learn when I let my emotions get the better of me; when I let other thoughts betray my senses.

I was knocked down to the ground by a sudden force as soon as Sarah screamed out her warning towards me. All my instincts suddenly kicked back in, and I went back into a fighting mode.

Three muscular men, all wearing those makeshift clown masks over their heads, came out of nowhere, attacking me from every possible corner. Compared to my training, they had no chance of winning a fight against me. I could easily had taken them out one by one within thirty seconds.

The only thing that stopped the fight from being over as soon as I had wanted it to was keeping an eye on where Sarah was.

From the second I was attacked, I could see Sarah watch the fight from where she sat in the car's wreckage, among the broken glass, and then I saw her attention be diverted to something else.

Something terrifying to her...

When I told her to stay where she was and to not move, I told her that so she wouldn't risk any more damage to her already bleeding leg. But as I caught glimpses of the Joker advancing toward her with his knife, she went by instinct and fear. In a frantic movement, Sarah scrambled up to her feet, pushing herself off the ground, and running with a very noticeable limp to the main entrance of Amusement Mile, that had just been closed down a few weeks ago for the season.

I struggled against my attackers for only a few moments, eventually tossing the one in front of me over my head, colliding with the one behind me. While I fist-fought with the third and final man, I kept glancing back and forth to where I saw Sarah run to. Being as small as she was for a 12-year-old, it was still a wonder that she managed to slip through the small opening in the chain-linked gate, all the while kicking the Joker in his leg so she could get a head start in her escape. She easily slipped through, running freely through the closed-down amusement park. Joker, knowing he wouldn't be able to fit through the opening as easily as my goddaughter did, leapt up onto the fence, climbing up and to the other side, going after her.

Once I brought my fist down across the man's face, knocking him out cold and onto the ground, I ran toward the gate, unphased by the lock that was supposed to block my way in.

Obviously, it didn't. Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing this without giving you the knowledge that Sarah was safe and sound at home after all this.

Using the same knife gadget I had earlier, I sliced through the padlock on the gate, practically knocking it wide open, rushing through the amusement park, following the tracker's signal once again.

They weren't far, I knew that. But Sarah was smart. She could've easily slipped through anything and found refuge in one of the game booths or funhouses quickly, even with an injured leg. She was certainly smart enough to trust her instincts.

But, in the past year of tracking him down, I came to realize that the Joker, in some way, was smart as well.

I didn't realize how smart until tonight. And that chaotic intelligence in this man was something that went underestimated. Unnoticed.

He used the ignorance and assumption that most people would have figured him for to his advantage.

It was in both his chaotic intelligence, and my goddaughter's cleverness that made it a little bit harder for me to find them.

But, like I said, Sarah was smart. She knew I was looking for her. She knew I would be strong enough to handle those men that distracted me back there. Somehow, she would find a way to make it known to me where she was.

And she did.

I don't know how she was able to manage the controls, but the funhouse ahead of the path I was walking on lit up.

It was the Mirror Maze Fun-House. My goddaughter had told me about it. She and her friends had spent an entire week out of their Summer Vacation hanging out at Amusement Mile, daring each other to go inside and see how long it would take for them to get out. Rumor had it among the kids in Gotham that the maze was complicated-You would go in one way, but you couldn't go back out the way you came in. Left became right. Right became left. At some point, you could easily become trapped by four mirrors, having no way out for a while.

Wayne Enterprises helped developed the engineering for it in the hopes to achieve the idea that the more complicated, the more exciting it would be.

Sarah never went inside herself. Only her friends did, and they ended up getting lost inside for more than an hour at one point.

Knowing her, she'd be frightened enough already with the Joker after her. The labyrinth of mirrors that would constantly change the layout every few seconds to confuse its audience would overwhelm her.

I had to move fast.

* * *

**_Sarah's POV:_**

I'm only going to share a bit of what happened that night from my perspective only to humor my godfather. He told me it was good to write these things, for emotional therapy's sake and all that. Once I had written a horrible memory, then I could let it go.

I hope he was right about this particular memory...

There's not much that I can remember from when I was taken from the Penthouse to where I was running frantically through a maze of mirrors. In fact, the earliest memory I can recall that night was running in the Mirror Maze Fun-House at Amusement Mile. Before that, the clearest memory I have is just seeing the Batman run after me before I was pushed inside the Joker's black SUV.

Between those two memories, I can't recall anything clear. Those missing 15 minutes were a huge blur of laughter and pain and fright that I had immediately suppressed.

There are flashes that I would get from time to time after Bruce told me what happened.

Like, I remember my foot smashing through the window, which would explain why there was a huge gaping cut on my leg going from knee to my ankle. Last year, I injured the same leg after it got tangled in barbed wire, but after pushing it through broken shards of glass, I would gladly welcome the barbed wire back in exchange.

And then, the SUV I was in tumbled over and over off the road, crashing. That explained why my dress was torn in some places at the hem and sleeves, my hair was a mess, missing a chopstick that once held it up, and could feel a huge headache coming on.

But I couldn't focus on that now. I was already confused as to where I was to begin with. I couldn't remember how I got to Amusement Mile, how I escaped the Joker's clutches, and how I got inside the Fun-House in the first place.

I knew he'd be after me still, and that's why I couldn't focus on the pain I was feeling from my aching head to the pain in my limping leg. I couldn't focus on how I got there to begin with.

All I knew was that a mad man was after me, and my godfather-turned-Batman was looking for me.

Maybe if I moved fast enough, I could evade the possibility of running into the Joker.

When I first got into the Mirror Maze Fun-House, it was dark. For a few minutes, I kept running into cool smooth walls, slapping my hands on them until I found an opening way, and ran down that, repeating the blind process if I needed to. Despite being stuck in the dark, which I still feared from time to time, the important thing for me to do was to remain calm.

Just remain calm.

And then, the lights came on, and the music you would hear on the Carosel at fairs and carnivals started. I was surrounded by images of my worn-out self. Every angle reflected the dress, the hair, the sweat that poured from my face, and the blood that ran down my leg.

My senses heightening as well as my anxiety, I whipped myself around and ran toward an unknown direction, unsure of where I was going, but with the goal of escaping out of there.

Who turned on the lights? Was it the Joker? Was he trying to scare me again? Was this all part of his plan?

What _was_ his plan anyway?

I skidded to a stop at the end of a long hallway of mirrors before I could collide into a mirror that I would've ran into. A **_dead-end._**

"No..." I whispered to myself in fear, my breath shuddering. "...H-how do I get out of here?"

Then the music stopped...

Only the lights that hung over me kept flashing from time to time, the element of fun and confusion they were meant to create slowly becoming eerie...

I stood there, still as a statue, my breath shaky as I inhaled and exhaled. I couldn't move. A cold chill ran up my spine and all over my whole body, cooling the heated sweat on my skin. My throat started hurting from breathing too hard when I was running. I tried to keep it quiet, but it was difficult. I needed air...

I _needed_ open spaces...

I **_needed_ **to get out of there...

Then, a whistling tune tickled my ears...

My lips pursing together to stop a whimper, I brought my clenched fists to my ears, closing my eyes tightly. But no matter how much I tried, I could still hear him.

That...**_maniac_**...was whistling.

Of all things, _why_ did he have to **_whistle_**?!

"...Stop..." I whispered, begging.

The whistling didn't stop. It kept going. My hands clutched my ears tighter as I breathed deeper through my nose and gritted my teeth.

"..._Stop_. **_It_**."

Oh my gosh...Was it getting _louder_?

I can't take it anymore.

"**_Stop it_**!"

After I had screamed out that last command, hurting my throat from the ferocity I put in my tone, I ran to the other side of the mirrored hallway, turning where ever I could, hoping it would get me out on the other side.

I had to get out of there. I wanted to go home. I didn't care how I got there, I just wanted to go home.

I smashed into a mirrored wall in my frightened run, and instinctively turned back to go the other way, only to take just one step before I was stopped again by a mirrored wall coming up from the floor, encasing me in a mirrored box.

"No!" I protested. "No! Please don't!"

Spinning myself in circles, I pounded my fists against all four mirrored walls that trapped me, trying to see which one would budge faster.

I had heard about this before. Over the Summer, when my friends and I would come to Amusement Mile, Kayla would always get trapped in boxes like these for about 30 seconds whenever we dared each other to go inside. She always griped about it because she could never beat Celia's record time and those mirrored boxes always delayed her. I never went inside this maze myself until that night. The idea of getting trapped in a labyrinth that would change it's layout every few minutes didn't appeal to me.

I banged my fists against the walls more, not wanting to wait for even a second more to try and escape again.

The next 30 seconds would be the longest of my childhood...

"Do you know that tune?" I could hear the Joker's creepy, curious tone, as if trying to get me in a normal conversation.

I stopped for a moment, once again hypnotized by the curiosity of where he was getting at.

Silent, I didn't answer him. I was afraid that if I did, he would find me.

"...Oh now, come on. You've gotta know it...No?..."

_Leave me alone...Go away...Please..._

"...OK, OK. I know what this is all about. Listen...We may have gotten off the wrong foot here, Princess. Now, you might think that I'm gonna hurt you. You know, like, gut you up like a fish, chop you into tiny little pieces, and send them all that billionaire playboy that takes care of you."

...I almost threw up from the imagery he portrayed about what he would do. I braced myself on the walls, and tried to breathe as quietly as I could, trying not to vomit and cry.

"But I'm not...I give you my word that I'm not. I won't harm a single gold hair on that pretty little head of yours...I'll let you go, even. Yeah. I'll personally take you to the Batman himself, and he can take you home, where you can brush your little teeth, say your little prayers, and dream away this whole thing, safe and snug in your bed in an hour. Hour and a half tops. Now, we both know he's looking for us, so it's only a matter of time. He'll probably find you first if those stories I've heard about you are true..."

What stories? What was he talking about? I turned around the other way, hoping the mirror in front of me would open soon, trying to ignore the Joker.

_Come on...Come on...Open up. Please. Let me out of here!_

"Do you like stories?...I heard you do. You must be quite the reader...It must be..." he growled this word "..._**tantalizing**_ to know that you're part of one yourself. I mean, bad guys in Gotham, like Falcone's men...They don't go after the Princess of Gotham...Do you know why?...Because...The Batman always seems to be _right_... _behind_...**_her_**."

Suddenly, a cold leathery glove gripped the back of my neck.

I screamed as loud as I could as I was forced to turn around and face the Joker again. Once more, I was commanded to look at those cold, dark, dead eyes filled with drips of insanity.

The Batman had to be around here somewhere. To try and let him know where I was, I screamed as loud as I could, as much as I could.

The Joker slammed me against one of the mirrored walls, holding me by the neck now. Not tight enough to choke me, but strong enough to keep me in place. I twisted my head from left to right, trying to avoid his face as I gripped his arm, attempting to push it away from me.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to feel Bruce and Rachel's arms around me, keeping me safe. I wanted to be home.

I wanted to wake up.

"But I'm not **_like_** the bad guys you've heard of," the Joker growled at me, oblivious to my screaming. "...I**_ know_ **you know**_ that_**."

"Batman!" I screamed, still twisting my neck back and forth. "Batman!"

"I'm not afraid of him, my dear little Princess..." He took out that blade of his from his pocket once more. "And that's what makes me worse than the mob."

"No!" I craned my head away to keep the blade of the knife from my cheek, tears streaming down my face. "Get away from me! Batman, please! Where are you?!"

"I'll keep my word just like I promised. I'll let you go home without any harm to you. All you have to do is **_answer_**. **_My_**. **_Question_**!"

"You're crazy! Let me go!" I was now sobbing, desperately. "Batman! _Plea-ea-ease_!"

"Tell me where Harvey Dent is!"

"Batman!"

* * *

The damned maze almost got the better of me...

...But a scream echoed through the mirrored labyrinth that nearly stopped me dead in my tracks.

I knew that scream...Unfortunetly, I knew it very well.

That was when the monster took over me.

...That was when I let the Batman take over Bruce Wayne.

A loud animal like growl emitted from my throat. I raised a clenched fist and with a yell, almost like a roar, I brought it down across a mirror as soon as the lights went dark.

Another scream sounded, louder this time, and I prepared to fight. Looking around, I waited for someone to come out from the darkness to attack.

...No one did.

Still in a fighting mood, I growled every time I turned, ready to take on anything.

But the only thing I encountered was a sound.

Crying.

I looked down, and even in the darkness, I could see a small ball huddled against a mirror wall, shards and small pieces of reflective glass scattered over it. The anger and rage of the Batman that had taken over melted away as I crouched down, realizing that it was my goddaughter.

The Joker was nowhere in sight. I didn't have time to go after him. I didn't want to. I went after the Joker because he took Sarah, and she was right here. However, I kept cautious about my surroundings while I carefull wiped the glass that had fallen off of her shoulders and back.

She still cried loudly, almost screaming. I had never heard her cry this loud before. Never. It tore me apart. Hearing her cry as much and as loud and as hard as she was crying right now made me feel useless. Powerless. I felt like there was nothing I could do to stop it.

It made me feel like I was just an ordinary man in a cape...

After wiping off the last shard of glass, I curled my arms around her shoulders, trying to sit her up. Once my hands were placed on her, her screaming became louder.

"It's me," I spoke as Batman still, trying to calm her.

My goddaughter still cried. Only a fraction of what I said seemed to be all that she understood. She was uncontrollable. She couldn't calm down. I placed my gloved hands on her face, trying to get her to look at me. I tried to be as gentle as I could be, but I wanted to get her to understand that I was there. I wasn't going to let anything happen to her anymore. I wasn't going to be so careless again. I wanted to promise her that everything was going to be all right from that moment on.

Her face was red, and tired. A bruise was beginning to appear on her forehead. She probably got it from the car crash. As she breathed deeply through her tears and sobs, I looked her straight in the eyes, trying to get her to understand what was no happening one last time.

"It's me..." I whispered in my guttural tone again. "I'm here...I got you."

She seemed to begin to understand what was happening. Who was in front of her. That nothing was gonna hurt her again. I wasn't going to let it happen. She opened her mouth, hiccups of breath escaping from her, still trying to control her unstable crying fit.

"H-h-h-h-*gasp*-h-he said things..." she stuttered hoarsely, gulping for air, her lips quivering. "He-he-he said there were stories...Fairy tales...And he was gonna *gasp* change the ending- -"

I gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Listen to me," I almost growled. "He's insane. Don't listen to him. Listen to me. Anything he says to you won't make sense. He's dangerous."

"...He left this for you."

Her trembling hand nudged mine, prompting me to look down at what she held in her hand.

Gripped in her fingers was a playing card. My eyes darkened at the sight of it. I knew what it was. The Joker had planted these next to his victims. He had stuck one on the body of Brian Douglas earlier that day.

With my goddaughter, he broke this pattern, leaving her alive, but not completely unharmed.

This would haunt her forever and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I didn't want to look at the card, but the Batman side of me knew I had to, whether I liked it or not. Loosening her grip gently, I took the playing card from Sarah's hand, and studied it.

The blood that poured from the gash on her leg had soaked almost half of the card, but the message was still clear in its gritty typewriter font.

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GOTHAM'S LITTLE PRINCESS.**

...Trying not to growl in frustration and anger, not to scare Sarah any further, I resisted crumbling the card in my hand. Despite my desire, I reminded myself that I needed it to scan for fingerprints. So I took a deep breath, and put it in a compartment on my belt, and looked back at Sarah, who was struggling to stop crying.

Being Bruce Wayne, it was easier to try and smile in reassurance to her. For the past year, that was all she knew.

But I was the Batman at the moment, and for some reason, it was harder to be of comfort to her.

The only thing I knew to do at the moment was to get her home, where she would be safe and taken care of so I could keep an eye on her.

"Come here," I knelt completely on the floor, pulling her towards me.

I wrapped my arms around her shaking body, cradling tightly it against mine as if I thought it would stop it, pulling her small figure towards the chest of my armour.

A yelp of pain escaped from her, echoing in the empty, dark, and silent maze, almost making me wince. I had almost forgotten about her leg. It didn't look like she was going to need stitches or crutches, but it had to be taken care as soon as possible...There was a lot of blood...

"Shh," I whispered, tossing out the chopstick from her hair to the side, smoothing it out, as I reached for a communicator in my belt.

She tried to calm down as I spoke in the communicator.

"Alfred," I spoke hoarsely and gravely. "I got her. We're on our way."

"Thank heavens," I heard Alfred from the other end, relieved. "Is she all right?"

"...Go get Rachel and the first aid kit and meet us upstairs in Sarah's room in 10 minutes."

"...Yes sir."

I put the communicator back in my belt, and pulled out a syringe, covered in black Kevlar to protect the contents.

"Listen to me," I whispered in Sarah's ear. "Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to give you a sedative. It'll put you to sleep for a while, but it's the only way to calm you down right now. I promise you that I'll be there when you wake up. Do you understand?"

She didn't answer me. Sarah just kept on crying. My heart broke for her, unable to help her completely.

I sighed, feeling a little helpless, before giving her a small kiss on the forehead while I gave her the sedative on her arm.

Wrapping her in the cape like a blanket to keep her warm, I only had to wait a minute or two before the chemicals worked its way into her system. Her body stopped shaking violently against me, the crying slowly stopped, and her eyes drooped to a close.

She was asleep.

Not wasting anymore time, I placed an arm carefully under her legs, the blood dripping on my gloves, and lifted her off the ground, still wrapped in the cape, and walked out, my goddaughter safe in my arms. The Tumbler was outside the Fun-House like I programmed it to be. Getting out of Amusement Mile would be easier than getting in...There was no more gate in the way.

I buckled her safely in the passenger seat and took her home.

I promise that I will write more about what happened, but for now, I have a promise to keep.

And once I make a promise, I like to think that I don't break it.

Just like the promise I made to Sarah Chante that I would be there to kep her safe.

And that I would be there when she woke up.

* * *

**_Me: *Comes in with an ice pack over her eye* "Yeah, so, funny thing happened this week- -"_**

**_Wayne: *walks in casually, speaking to reviewers* "If she tells you the story about how she beat the crap out of some guy before he got himself kicked out of the college on assault charges, at least that's what the rumor is, don't buy it. All she did was scare him by giving him her version of my Batman glare."_**

**_Me: "That glare is legit. And he fears me now because of it!"_**

**_Wayne: "Whatever you do, just don't try and pass that black eye off as a battle wound, when really your high heels flipped off your foot and hit you in the eye. That's what you get for trying to do hip hop practice in heels."_**

**_Me: *glares at Wayne before looking at reviewers* "I wanna thank you all for your patience as I got this chapter up. It was really fun writing in Bruce's perspective."_**

**_Wayne: "Don't get used to it."_**

**_Me: "I'm not making any promises. Also, a big shout out to grapejuice101 for making a cover photo for the story. Go check it out on my profile page! It's awesome! Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta make a run for it."_**

**_Wayne: "Why?"_**

**_Me: "Your new Lamborghini Aventador? I got caught speeding and it's been impounded." *takes off*_**

**_Wayne: *takes a deep breath looks at reviewers* "You guys know what to do." *grabs stun gun and goes after author* "This is why I don't like lending out my car to anyone..."_**


	17. To Confess, Dream, Cry, & Fly

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

**_Bruce's POV:_**

I couldn't have gotten back to the Penthouse fast enough. Getting past the police cars that were outside the building was easy, but I couldn't go to the first floor of the Penthouse. I had to get to the second. If I came in with my goddaughter in my arms, dressed as the Batman, her bleeding leg dripping, it would cause a kind of quiet panic.

Not to mention, her friends could still be in the living room. The last thing I wanted was for them to see her bleeding profusely, and allowing them to imagine the worse. I wouldn't let them go through that horror.

So I grappled up to the terrace outside of Sarah's room, keeping her secured tightly in one armored arm, and hanging onto the grapple gun with another. By the time I got up there, I took a look inside as I shifted her back in both of my arms so I could carry her easily. Just as I asked, both Alfred and Rachel were in the room waiting for us. I had never saw Rachel look so worried before. She was practically pacing back and forth by the window, wringing her hands together in anxiety.

Alfred always lookedv calm and collected on the outside as he set the first aid kit I asked for on the bedside table, even when things were grim. He never faltered in appearing focused on what needed to be done.

As soon as I stepped onto the terrace, Rachel snapped her head towards where I was outside, and opened the door to let us in Sarah's room.

"Thank goodness you got her ba- -," she stopped when she saw the blood as I rushed past her, carrying Sarah inside. "...Oh my g- -What happened?"

"Get a towel," I rasply commanded, briskly pacing towards the bed.

Rachel shut the balcony doors, locking them, before running to the bathroom. Alfred had looked up when she asked what had happened, seeing the blood that dripped on down Sarah's leg.

Even though I said that he always looked calm and collected on the outside, there was no mistaking in the old man's eyes that he was horrified.

"Did he- -?" he started to ask, pointing at the gash.

"No," I immediately answered before he could finish. "I think she struggled too much to get away that she ended up smashing her foot through the window in the car he had her in."

We didn't have to wait for Rachel long. She came out of the bathroom as fast as she went in, a towel in her shaking hands. Alfred immediately took it from her, laying it on Sarah's bed before I laid her on it, making sure the bleeding leg was on top of the towel before allowing Alfred to take a look at it and clean it. Rachel sat herself at the edge of the bed, near my goddaughter's side, smoothing her hair back in a loving manner.

"Oh sweetheart..." she whispered in regret as she stared at Sarah before giving her a kiss on the forehead.

I stayed back, once again feeling useless as to what to do. I felt that I had already done everything I could to help. I got her home. I got her away from the Joker.

But I wanted to do more. That couldn't just be all I was able to do. There had to be something else. I couldn't just stand there and I didn't want to.

"Why did he take her?" Rachel whispered. "...What did he want from her?"

I wish I knew the answer to that myself. The explanation, whatever it was, as to why the Joker took Sarah, why he tormented her, didn't seem a simple one. He was a complicated man to analyze. When I found Sarah in her hysterical condition and the Joker's playing card next to her, I was disgusted. He usually left those next to his victims after he killed them. That was his M.O., his usual calling card. The fact that he left that with someone alive baffled me.

The fact that he left it with my goddaughter after tormenting her infuriated me, both as Bruce Wayne and the Batman.

"Was she awake when you found her?" Alfred asked as he cleaned the excess blood off the leg.

Rachel looked up at me, waiting for me to answer as she held Sarah's face with both of her hands.

"...I had to sedate her," I replied rasply. "It was the only way to calm her down."

Rachel's eyes squeezed tightly and turned her head back to look at Sarah again, trying to stop the tears forming in her brown eyes. I wanted so much to go over there and comfort her as well, but Alfred needed space to work on the leg, and honestly, what could I do? Everything was already being done and taken care of. I kept my distance, feeling like it was the only thing I could do.

When I looked at Alfred, he had stopped for a moment to glance at Sarah before cleaning off the rest of the blood on the wound and stayed silent. I've known Alfred my whole life, and there's been a certain look on his face that he let show a few times in the last couple of decades. If something horrible happened that he couldn't fathom, he would close his eyes and hang his head a little. Maybe it was to try and comprehend the events that took place, or to calm himself. For a few seconds, he stayed still before going back to work.

Before long, Alfred finished, making sure the bandage wrap around Sarah's leg was tight enough to put pressure and the gash and stop the bleeding. As he put the bandages and disinfectant back in the first aid kit, a knock on the door sounded.

Alfred and Rachel snapped their heads toward the door, but I remained still as a statue.

"I'll go see who it is," I barely heard Rachel whisper.

Her body trembling, Rachel relunctantly moved away from Sarah's bed, timidly slipping through the door quietly. Once the bedroom door was closed, I allowed myself to fully glance up to where Sarah laid and moved towards the bed, crouching beside it, and taking her hand in mine as I cradled the top of her head in another. The tears that were once on her face left barely visible stains on her cheeks and a bruise from the impact of the car crash was now a red and purple spot near the top of her head.

Other than that, she looked peaceful, like she was content before she fell asleep.

"She was very brave downstairs," Alfred remarked softly from behind me.

I couldn't look at Alfred...I just couldn't...

"...It's not your fault, you know," he continued. "About what happened...The important thing is you got her home, safe and sound."

"He hurt her, Alfred," I growled, glancing at the blood stained towel on the bed. "...I promised her that I wouldn't let him get her."

It was quiet for a while, and I knew that silence well.

"Master Bruce..." Alfred started softly.

Oh great, another one of those infamous Alfred pep talks. My first clue was the "Master Bruce" bit he started with.

When I was a kid, they used to bug me a little. As a teenager, they annoyed the hell out of me. Now that I was older, I did listen to the advice Alfred would give me, but right now, I didn't want to hear a word.

"...There are certain things in this world that a parent will never be able to protect their child from," he said quietly. "Unfortunetly, some of those things are horrible. Since we took her in, you've learned, and are _still_ learning, to carry that responsibility on your shoulders...And it's for your own good that I say this now- -You'll continue to carry the responsibility even when she's all grown up, married, and maybe with children of her own."

The thought of Sarah growing up, especially with her birthday tomorrow, made me feel un-prepared for what might come.

Marriage?...I didn't even want to _think_ about her kissing boys right now.

And children of her own? That just made _me_ feel old.

When Sarah was born, I had this idea that Luke and Jennifer would be the ones to have to worry about these things. I'm her godfather. I'm supposed to be the one she goes to when she's sick of her parents, sneak her presents or extra money once in a while, and give her tickets to her band's favorite concert when she can't afford them.

I thought I would be the one who would say "Yes" to her behind her parents backs when they would say "No" to her.

I thought that I would be the "fun" one.

But now that Luke and Jennifer were gone, I had to worry about all of those things and still be the godfather I wanted to be when I was younger.

Everyday that passes, those tasks seem harder to juggle.

"But there is one way to protect them, even when they're not within your reach."

After a moment, I allowed myself to look at Alfred when he mentioned this loophole on how to excel at parenting, something that I felt that I failed a lot in. He had this small smile on his face, full of...hope...

"Teach them. Prepare them for these horrible things," he counseled, his smile growing a little. "You've done well in that area, as it were."

I still doubted that.

"How?" I asked, turning back to Sarah.

"...Those children may have been in danger for a brief time," Alfred spoke of when the Joker's men held most of the children at gunpoint from earlier. "But Miss Sarah managed to keep one safe and out of sight..."

A hand was placed on my shoulder.

"...If Bruce Wayne and Batman taught Sarah Chante anything...It was bravery...Something most people don't learn until they're much older."

Silence fell in the room again as I contemplated what Alfred said. The only sound was Sarah's breathing and stirring in her sleep. The sedative must have been wearing off already. I only gave her a small dose, after all.

The bedroom door opened again while Alfred was making his way out. I turned around to find Rachel coming back in, and stood up as she closed the door gently. She looked upset and very disturbed.

"Who was it?" I referred to the knock from earlier.

"Harvey," she replied softly in a tight voice, barely looking at me. "...He said he was just informed that Judge Surillo was killed in an explosion..."

Judge Surillo was the one who presided over the hearing Dent called for when he prosecuted half of the city's mob earlier today. I remembered from watching the news coverage. But when Rachel finally looked up at me, I could tell she was scared of what was going on when she continued.

"...And Commissioner Loeb was poisoned around that same time."

"_Joker_," I immediatly concluded with a growl.

Rachel didn't have to explain to me the rest. Before the Joker had crashed the fundraiser, I received a message from Gordon about the DNA they found on the card from Douglas's body. I had hoped that we would be able to trace it back to the Joker, but no such luck. The only traces that were evident on the card were Surillo's, Loeb's, and Dent's.

While I was taking care of Dent, Gordon messaged the Batman that he sent a unit to Surillo to get her to a safe house immediately. Gordon himself would try and get to Loeb.

But they were too late, it seemed.

I turned my attention back to Sarah, who showed signs of waking up already, as she shifted her body to the side in her sleep.

"...Josh wants to talk with her before he and his mother head back to Chicago," Rachel informed me. "...You should go."

"I'm not leaving her, Rachel," I firmly replied.

I couldn't. I promised Sarah that I would be there when she woke up, but Rachel had a different idea in mind.

"I'm not asking you to leave her," her tone grew tighter. "I'm asking you to hide for a bit so you don't scare the boy."

There was not arguing with Rachel. Actually, I hardly dreamed of doing such a thing with her. With hesitancy in my movement, I backed away from Sarah's bed and let Rachel move toward it once more. I found a shadow in a corner of the room that wasn't conflicting with the lamp on the nightstand, the only light in the room, I watched Rachel stroke Sarah's head again, trying to help her wake up when she started to move more.

Sheiding myself in that small spot of darkness between the bookcase and the desk, I draped the cape around myself, making myself a shadow.

Within seconds, I was invisible.

From where I stood, I saw Rachel's face go from a tight-lipped frown to a beeming smile. She sat on the bed, part of her back facing me, but I could still see that beautiful smile of hers that I had loved since I was a child.

"Hey sweetie," I heard her whisper to Sarah. "Can you hear me?"

"...Rachel?" a groggy voice asked in reply.

Rachel let out a breath of relief, her smile growing, glad that Sarah was awake. I closed my eyes briefly to calm my worried self as well, feeling the same.

"Hey," she said again. "You OK?"

"...I had another nightmare."

"It's over, honey. You're OK now...Come on, I'll help you get changed into some pajamas."

I watched Rachel help Sarah sit up from her bed, putting an arm around her shoulders, before helping her stand up completely, and led her into the bathroom. They were only in there for a few seconds, before Rachel came back out alone,opening the bedroom door.

Josh Mason slowly walked inside Sarah's room, looking around as he clutched a thin, flat object wrapped in present paper between his hands. His face seemed uncertain, almost scared.

"Wait here for a few minutes, sweetheart," Rachel advised.

The young boy nodded as Rachel closed the bedroom door before going back into the bathroom, leaving Josh alone for a bit. Looking at him from the shadows as he walked aimlessly about the room, lost in his thoughts, I tried to decipher what he was thinking.

They say that the sins of the father follow the son...I don't believe that for a second.

I didn't know much about Josh Mason as much as I knew about Sarah's other friends. From the beginning, he did well at hiding the abuse he received from his father by preying on other children his age, including Sarah, to boost his self-esteem. But he slowly let that mask slip off his face in time to help expose his father's cruelty. After Edgar's death, he and his mother started a new life in Chicago, making annual visits to Gotham and spending time with my goddaughter and her friends.

Over the past year, he grew into a remarkable young man, and I had no doubt in my mind that he would grow up to be a three times the man than his father was.

After a few minutes of silence, Josh Mason had come closer to where I hid in the darkest corner of the room, and for a moment, I thought that our eyes locked.

I thought that he had seen me.

But the moment was interrupted when Rachel and Sarah finally came out.

All I had to do was stay quiet, and keep watch over the children.

* * *

**_Sarah's POV:_**

"Sarah!"

I looked up to find my cousin running towards me, dropping whatever he was holding in his hands onto my bed. While I smiled in response, I was taken aback by the most fierce hug I had ever received.

I had to say, it wasn't the best time to receive that kind of hug. I was still kind of groggy from the sedative. After I had woken up, the memories started to come back to me while Rachel helped me into my pajamas. Not all of them, thankfully, but I would have time for that later.

Right now, I was glad that Josh seemed to be OK.

But the force of his hug almost pushed me back into Rachel, my head hitting her stomach, and her almost back into the bathroom.

"Josh," Rachel chided softly. "Be careful. She's still trying to get her senses together."

"Sorry," Josh let go sheepishly.

All I did was smile in reassurance.

"It's OK," I said quietly.

My throat hurt a little from the screaming that took place earlier...

A hand on my shoulder prompted me to look up at Rachel. I had never seen her so worried about me before. Through that smile of hers that had quivered once or twice since I woke up to find her sitting right next to me, something told me that she was crying before I even opened my eyes. She did her best, however, to keep that hidden from me, and remain strong.

"Sweetheart," she started gently. "Why don't you get into your bed, and you and Josh could talk for a while before he has to leave?"

I nodded in quiet agreement, and let Rachel help me back into my bed, propping the pillows so that I was able to sit up. As Josh sat next to me on my bed, I received a simple and gentle kiss on the forehead from the woman I looked up to. Smiling in gratitude, I looked back up at Rachel, who smiled back at me, carefully holding my face in her hands.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she promised as she headed out of my room. "If you need anything, I'm right outside."

As soon as Rachel closed the door, Josh and I were alone...

...At least...I think we were...

It's strange...as soon as I came back into the room, I couldn't help but feel like something was in the room with us. But it wasn't a bad feeling...I don't know if it was a good feeling either...It just felt...strange.

What was even more strange is that I think that I felt that same feeling before in my life, but I couldn't place where. Almost as if I had felt it in some fairy tale that a child would make up so that they could feel safe, because in some ways the fantasy was more comforting than the reality.

But I shook that feeling aside for a moment, before looking at Josh, and frowning a bit. On the side of his head was a bruise, just like the one I discovered on my head when I had looked in the bathroom mirror. I remembered he tried to get to me when...he...the Joker took me earlier.

"You're hurt," I stated quietly.

Josh waved his hand in a dismissive way and looked at me like I was nuts.

"_I'm_ hurt?" he asked in disbelief before pointing to me. "This is nothing compared to what you got. What happened? What'd he do to you? You OK?"

I sighed. Honestly, I didn't really want to talk about what happened when the Joker took me away for a brief moment. But I knew that a simple "I-Don't-Wanna-Talk-About-It" answer wasn't going to satisfy my cousin. Like Ally, he would badger me until he got something out of me. It was quiet for a moment before I decided what to tell him.

"He wanted to know where Dent was," I replied, looking at him. "...He seemed to think I knew."

"Makes sense," Josh nodded. "Kayla found him a few minutes ago in the pantry. Someone must've locked him in there. Good thing too...Who do you think put him in there?"

I knew exactly who put him in there. I sort of witnessed it myself. But all I did was shrug in response.

"Beats me," I said. "...Are Ally and Kayla OK?"

The memory of Ally and Kayla's protest and screaming when they were held hostage by the Joker's men slipped its haunting nature into my head. Ally's cry when Mr. Farris was brought down with a butt of a gun hitting him in the head. Kayla getting smacked across the face after she stood up for them...I felt responsible, in a way...There were so many things I wish I could've done to help them better than just hiding underneath a table.

"Yeah," Josh answered. "They're OK. Everyone's OK."

"...Good," I nodded.

Silence passed through us as Josh wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulders, and I took a look around my room. The only light that was on was the lamp on my nightstand. Everything else was in shadow. I could still make out shapes though...

Funny...Here comes that weird feeling again...

"Listen," Josh broke me out of my thought as he reached for the present that laid at the foot of my bed. "My mom and I made this for you for your birthday."

My cousin placed the thin and flat present in my hands, his demeanor changing from somber to excited. It didn't take a genius to realize that it was a painting, given Aunt Elaina's artistic side, but I was really excited to see what my aunt and cousin made for me. With a smile growing on my face, I ripped the gift wrapping paper off of the present and beheld something beautiful the was meant for me.

At first, I didn't know what the picture was. The only thing that was obvious to me was that it was a painting of a faceless man and woman surrounded by swirling mixtures of blue, white, and gold. With her man standing behind her, his hands upon her shoulders, the woman appeared to be facing the same direction as her companion:

Right towards me.

I gotta admit, it was kind of creepy, and I had enough of creepy for one night. Then I took a look at the detail surrounding the man and the woman. Their torsos were covered in gold that seemed to shine right off the painting, with silver trim glistening on their collars.

Beautiful brunette hair was braided and cascaded off the side and on the shoulder of the woman, while wavy blonde locks sat upon the man's head.

Despite its initial strange and confusing impression, I slowly began to understand what this painting might have been trying to say...

"...It's called _The Greatest Blessing_," Josh explained while I studied the painting more. "...My mom made it for her exhibit debut a few months ago...She made it for you."

"Why is it called that?" I asked softly, wondering about the title.

"I asked her the same question..." My cousin exhaled a bit before relaxing completely against the headboard of my bed. "All my mom told me was that the greatest blessing that anyone can be given on this earth and in this life was the gift of being a parent to a child- -"

"Josh," I interuppted, realizing what this was, before looking at him. "...Are these my parents?"

Josh looked at me quietly, almost frozen on the spot for a few seconds, before he nodded, confirming my thoughts.

I looked back at the picture, my eyebrows knitted together in confusion and wonder...and gratitude.

"How come they don't have any faces?" I asked.

"...We figured that the most correct likeness would be the one in your head," Josh explained the concept. "...Do you like it?"

Did I like it?

In a quick response, I threw my arms around my cousin, giving him the biggest hug I could possibly offer without having to go through more pain in my leg. A small smile curled on my lips, feeling a bit of relief in some way; feeling so comforted just from that picture that was made just for me. Bittersweet emotions were running at an all-time high.

"I absolutely **_love_** it, Josh," I reassured him. "...I don't know what to say."

"Hey," Josh hugged me back. "It's the least I could do after what you did for me."

Ever since what happened with us and the incident with Edgar last year, Josh always thought that he was in my debt for some reason. I saved his life by getting him out of Gotham, and he saved mine by coming back...But...

...I...I felt like I took something from him the night Edgar died trying to kill me.

And that made me feel like I was in Josh's debt forever.

You see, sometimes, late at night, when I'm awake and can't go to sleep right away, certain thoughts and memories take hold of my mind, replacing the dreams or nightmares my subconscious was planning. Lately, it was the memory of hanging onto the support beams underneath the bridge that connected the Narrows to Downtown Gotham.

I had held the bullets from Edgar's gun in my hand, and revealed them to him when he found that his gun wasn't exactly working the way he wanted it to. He was holding onto the support beams from the other side of me, hanging on as much as I could, but when I showed the bullets to him...

...He let go when I accidentally dropped them into the raging Gotham river below us, and drowned to death.

A fate I almost met myself.

However, the more that memory creeped inside my head, haunting me, the more I began to wonder...

"Hey Josh," I slowly broke the hug, facing the wall ahead of me. "...Do you..."

I still can't believe I was asking this question...

"...Do you miss your dad?"

Uncomfortable silence filled the room as I felt Josh stare at me. I kept looking at the wall ahead of my bed. For what seemed like forever, I tried to focus on my computer desk, bookcase, and posters of my favorite movies rather than Josh's quizzical gaze.

"...I miss having a father figure in my life, if that's what you mean," he said, probably hoping I didn't mean the other thing.

"That's not what I'm asking," I stated, still staring at the wall.

"Sarah, we've been over it a thousand and one times..._You didn't kill Edgar_."

"But if I hadn't dropped the bullets- -" I looked at Josh.

"It doesn't _matter_, Sarah," Josh looked at me like I was crazy. "He's dead, but it's not your fault...It's no one's fault, but his. He was insane. And what's also insane is you thinking that you killed him when you didn't do anything."

I looked down at my hands that were folded in my lap, not bringing myself to look at Josh. I just sat there and listened to him, like I always did. This wasn't the first time I felt this way, but I never confided that feeling to Bruce, or Alfred, or Rachel, not even to Ally.

Josh was always the one I talked to whenever I had this particular discomforting feeling.

"Ask anybody," Josh kept talking. "They'll all say that you're not responsible for what happened...Ask the Batman. He was there that night too, wasn't he? He'd tell you the same thing I'm telling you right now."

At the mention of Batman, I looked at with a quizzical expression. He didn't understand. This was one of those things I was sure that I was responsible for and no one could make me change my mind about it. Not even the Batman...Well, that's what I felt like, at least.

But as soon as I looked to where Josh was, his head whipped toward me to look back at me. I grew more confused. Something in the far corner of my room, near the terrace, caught his attention. What was he looking at over there? There was nothing there but darkness...

...Darkness...

...Near the terrace...

What, or _who_, was over there?

"Josh..." I started slowly, suspiciously. "...What are you- -"

All of a sudden, a knock on the bedroom door sounded. My cousin and I looked up to find Rachel coming back to my room, accompanied by my Aunt Elaina.

I guess I'd have to find out what was in my room later.

"Josh, darling," Elaina called Josh softly to her. "I'm sorry, but our plane can't wait for us any longer."

"Yes, mother," Josh obediently replied.

Before he left, Josh gave me a small smile along with a hug. Returning the hug, I held onto him tight, my eyes shut. I didn't want him to leave. We had barely spoken to each other since he got here. The Joker had taken away my time with my cousin, and that made me a little angry. But I kept that hidden from Josh, wanting him to see me optimistic before he left.

"Hang in there, Sarah," he encouraged smiling as the hug broke. "Happy Birthday."

"It's not my birthday yet," I chided with a smile.

"Not for another two hours," Rachel slightly teased as Josh made his way out the door.

My Aunt Elaina smiled, patting Josh on the shoulder before he waited out in the hallway. With the grace and poise that I always saw in her, she walked toward where I sat on the bed with a smile that was almost more kind than on the face of Da Vinci's _Mona Lisa_. Placing a gently hand on my shoulder, she bent down a little and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. A warmth of love spreaded within me as she cupped my face in her hands, looking at me with her beautiful smile.

"Don't lose faith, darling," she advised in a soft, almost magical tone. "Things will be better in the morning..." Her smile grew. "I hope you know that we love you very much."

Hearing that come out of the woman who was married to the man who tried to kill me last year...You'd think it would be awkward, but, to me, it wasn't. Instead, it made me feel...loved...

Very much loved.

"I know," I whispered to my Aunt Elaina. "I love you too."

After hearing that, Elaina's smile grew bigger, showing her teeth, pleased that I returned that love for her, and gave me another kiss on the forehead.

There are other times that I bonded with my Aunt Elaina, but, sadly, they are not part of this story. Josh and Aunt Elaina's roles during this dark and mysterious time of my life were small, but not un-important. If they weren't, I would have no mention of them at all.

Even at a young age, I always saw Aunt Elaina as a woman of grace, almost like she was a woman of a different era, such as the Victorian Era. And I always knew, by the way she acted and treated everyone else around her these days, that she believed in new beginnings for everyone.

As soon as the door shut, Rachel walked toward my bed, trying to smile. That was when I was able to look at her more clearly, and I became worried. Her eyes were a little puffy, and her hands were shaking a little.

"Rachel," I was almost hesitant to ask. "Are you OK?"

Rachel just smiled at me more before sitting next to me on my bed, like Josh had done before.

"Of course I am, sweetheart," she tried to assure me, before looking at her hands in her lap after straightening out her gown. "...It's just...We were so worried about you."

We?

Bruce!

I then remembered something before I fell asleep. A promise made to me from a...masked man...

Batman.

Keeping my composure, I sat up a little bit more, taking a deep breath.

"Is he here?" I asked.

I didn't know if she understood who in particular I was asking about- -Bruce or Batman. Even though they were both the same men, they were both entirely different, and Rachel knew that. But all she did after a moment of silence was wrap an arm around my shoulders.

"You need to rest, Sarah," she said softly. "Try not to think about anything else right now."

But he promised he would be here when I woke up.

However, I kept that protest to myself.

"Try to go to sleep now," Rachel pulled me closer to her, cradling my head in a hand, stroking my hair.

The thought of going to sleep frightened me, especially after what happened tonight. I didn't want anymore nightmares. Gently, I shook my head.

"I don't want to," I whispered fearfully. "...I'm scared."

"I'll keep you safe," Rachel cradled me in her arms. "...Close your eyes, sweetheart."

With reluctance, I made myself close my eyes, but not before glancing at the shadowy corner in my room...

"What if I have a nightmare?" I asked, shaking a little.

"You won't..." Rachel whispered and continued stroking the hair on my head. "I'm here to keep you safe...And so is he."

...So he _was_ here. Was he in that shadowy corner in my room?

I was almost afraid to open my eyes to see if I could actually spot him. Instead, I tried to concentrate on going to sleep, just like Rachel had asked me too. Truth be told, I was kind of tired and wanted this night to be over.

Exhaling, and trying to relax, I heard Rachel start to hum softly to me. Slowly feeling myself grow more drowsy with each note, I started to give into the small lullaby's magic tune. It was an uplifting song, even in it's quiet nature. It was soft and sweet. In my mind, I tried putting words to the music I was hearing.

**_Little one, sleepy one._**  
**_Close your eyes_**  
**_And never mind_**  
**_The day that is now done._**

**_Little one, sleepy one._**  
**_Dream away_**  
**_Don't ever stray_**  
**_The night has now begun._**

Rachel's arms never moved from my shoulders or my head, but I felt a blanket cover me up to my neck as sleep was slowly claiming me once more. The humming slowly stopped, but the song stayed in my mind.

**_Little one, sleepy one._**  
**_Have no fear_**  
**_Don't shed a tear_**  
**_Your troubles are all gone._**

A hand gently held the back of my head, the other cradling the small of my back. But then Rachel slowly let go, letting the other set of arms handle me, and I didn't want her to. I felt safe in her arms. It reminded me of how my mom used to hold me...And I wanted my mom.

I missed my mom.

Couldn't I have her back for just tonight?

As I was moved so that I was lying completely on the bed, two hands now placing my head on a pillow, I whimpered a little, desperate to be back in Rachel's arms.

"Shh," a low and deep whisper reached my ears.

Rachel started humming again, so I knew that she was still there. But it wasn't her that was holding me this time, and it wasn't her that hushed me...

**_Little one, sleepy one._**  
**_I'll be here_**  
**_I'm always near_**  
**_Evening stars will shine on us._**

Too tired now to make up anymore words to the made up lullaby, I went back on trying to go to sleep, trying not to worry about whether or not I would experience another nightmare. With a stronger hand on my head now, I felt a pair of lips kiss my forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning, sweetheart," Rachel whispered in my ear, before feeling her move off my bed. "...Please don't leave her alone tonight."

"...I promise," I heard a raspy reply, a gloved hand holding mine.

It was too late to open my eyes at this time.

* * *

Every nightmare I had experienced in the past week seemed to grow worse and more clear with each hour I slept.

After the events of that night, and the memories it brought back of last year...this was probably the worse nightmare I have had.

"Sarah," a growl broke the barrier between reality and dream. "Wake up."

I felt and heard everything in this dream...

The cold water splashing against my skin...

A gunshot...

...Edgar..._Laughing_...

...The Joker...**_Laughing_**...

Someone screaming for their mother...

"Sarah, wake up!"

It was me...

With a scream escaping my lips, I shot straight up from my bed, fighting against the pair of armored arms that blocked my struggles.

"_Mommy!_" I shouted towards my bedroom door.

Any minute now, my mother would come rushing in here, dressed in her pajamas and bath robe and ask me what the matter was. Everything would be all right...

...But she didn't come...

Where was she? Why wasn't she coming? Could she not hear me?

"**_Mommy_**!" I shouted again, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Sarah..." the growl I heard in my dreams grew softer.

A hand gently grasped the back of my head, the grip on my upper body loosening now that I wasn't struggling anymore...

While being held gently like that, I realized where I was...

"...She's not here," the growly voice finished, sounding sad.

I stayed silent for a while, memories coming back to me, staring at the walls of my dark bedroom, letting everything sink in.

Once they did...Once I realized that my mom and my dad weren't here anymore...I started crying hard.

I sobbed onto the armored shoulder of whoever was holding me in their arms, burying my face in it...It wasn't fair.

How come after all the times I've had a nightmare in the past year, I wake up tonight calling for the one person who couldn't be there? Why couldn't it have been Bruce? Or Alfred? Or Rachel?

Trying to control myself wasn't very easy. The only thing I could do was cry myself out until I was tired enough to fall asleep again. Can't this night be over already?

"Nightmare," the raspy voice said, a hand holding the back of my head.

It wasn't a question. It was more of a statement. Like he knew that it wasn't the first time this happened. A shuddery intake of breath sounded from me as I nodded a bit vigorously in answer.

"I was in the river..." I managed to speak clearly, tears squeezing out of my closed eyes. "...Edgar...He-he shot me. I fell in...I **_died_**."

"No, you didn't," a firm reply whispered. "You're right here. You're safe. It was just a dream."

But it felt so real.

My hand gripped the black cape as I buried my face deeper in the shoulder...

Wait a minute...

...Black cape?

Slowly opening my eyes, a few final tears dropping onto the shoulder I had cried on, I looked up and stared at my hands that had tangled themselves in the dark light-weight fabric.

Entwined in my fingers, I felt the black cape, trying to see if I was still dreaming...Or if...

He was here.

He was with me right now, and I was fully awake.

He was here.

Carefully, I loosened my grip, almost trembling, but I slowly calmed myself and sat up more, pulling away a bit until I finally came face to face with the Batman himself.

It felt...weird...

Over the past year, I've always wondered if Bruce would change his mind and let me catch a glimpse of the Winged Avenger from more than just a fuzzy photo on the front page of The Gotham Times. I remembered that whenever I was with Batman, it was different with him.

With Bruce, it was nothing but fun times and happiness.

But with the Batman...there was mystery and wonder, something that I still crave to this day...

Now that he was here, in my room during the middle of the night, like he used to do when I first began this journey a year ago...I just didn't know what to think. My mind was a total blank.

He looked very different. The only thing that was the same were his light green eyes, the very subtle reminders to me that my godfather was the one behind the mask of the Batman...

For a while, I just sat there, staring at him as he held my shoulders, looking at me with that blank expression...If I spoke, who would I be talking to exactly?

Batman?

Or Bruce Wayne?

...I admit...Sometimes, it seemed easier when I didn't know about the Batman...

Taking a quiet, deep breath, I gathered up enough courage to be the first to speak...

"...I..." I struggled a bit.

What exactly was I going to say?

"...I...I- -"

"Are you all right, now?" he asked me.

I shut my mouth completely when he asked me this question, nodding after a moment of a silence. In all honesty, I didn't know what to say at all. Maybe this was one of those situations where it was better to say nothing and just listen.

"Do you need anything?"

Without hesitation this time, I shook my head in response.

"Then we have something we need to discuss."

My heart started to sink very heavily into my stomach. I think I knew already what he wanted to talk about, but I didn't say anything right away. By the looks of his eyes, it seemed that he knew that I knew what he wanted to talk about. Letting my guard and surprise down, I looked down at my lap, almost ashamed to look the Batman in the eye.

Uncomfortable silence filled the small space between us for what felt like a long time.

"You don't have to say anything, Sarah," the Batman growled softly. "Just listen...I saw you and Edgar that night hanging onto the support beams under the bridge...You were already very weak and I saw it was a struggle to hold on with just one hand...I watched you pull out those bullets as I ran to get you...Do you remember what happened next?"

Squeezing my eyes shut, more tears forming, and a lump in my throat growing painfully hard. But I shook my head "no", still looking at my lap. I had played the memory of that night over and over again in my head for the past year, wondering what I did that made those bullets drop and Edgar fall to his death.

"You were losing your grip on the support beam...I saw you try and get both your arms up there to get a better support, and in your struggle, you dropped the bullets on accident...After Edgar fell, you did too just as I reached the bridge, before I could catch you...You called for me...And I dove in and got you before it was too late...Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?...Sarah, look at me."

It seemed like a Herculean task to even lift my head. Sniffling a bit, and exhaling, I tried to get the courage to look at the Dark Knight. But I couldn't. Some invisible and heavy weight prevented me from doing so and I wasn't strong enough to lift it off.

But the thing with the Batman that made him such a good man was that whenever I wasn't strong enough to carry a burden by myself, he lifted it with me until he was sure I could carry it myself.

Gently, a pair of gloved hands grasped my cheeks, guiding my head up straight until I was face to face with him. This was one of those rare times where someone, in this case, me, actually got a chance to see Batman in this quiet, and gentle state of his character. The only other person who had seen it was Rachel.

He stared at me for a second before he continued making sure I was paying attention to him.

"You didn't kill him," he stated. "...It wasn't on purpose...It wasn't on accident, it just happened, and you had nothing to do with it...Do you understand?"

Sinking in everything that he was saying, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. How could guilt that I had felt for so long be taken away by just 30 seconds of listening? How can that kind of thing just go away with a snap of your fingers? Nothing like that ever happened today.

But it did.

And I felt grateful.

Sniffing quietly, I nodded, leaning forward, resting my head against the Batman's chest and wrapping my arms around his armoured stomach. That soft and heavy cape was draped around my shoulders in comfort, just like he had done in the past. As I stared out the window that led to my terrace, gazing at the glittering city in its nightly splendor, it almost seemed like magic had reappeared once more in my life. The kind of magic you only see in childhood. It always made your heart swell with excitement and wonder, and it always made you smile happily, believing that all things were possible...

That was the same kind of magic I felt around the Batman.

After a few more moments, I was gently laid back down on the bed. The Batman placed my head on the pillow carefully while I looked back up at him. In the beginning, it was almost strange to see him again after almost a year. It was still kind of strange to see him again and know that it was my godfather behind the mask. But I tried putting that out of my mind as I allowed myself to rest completely, knowing full well that I was going to be safe and sound tonight.

For a bit, the Batman said nothing as he stared back at me, sweeping any strands of hair that fell in front of my face.

"...I'll stay until you fall asleep," he declared in that soft, raspy voice, getting up from my bed. "I'll be outside, keeping watch."

I rolled over to my side, trying to go to sleep as I heard him make his way towards my terrace. He left the door slightly open, so that I could feel the breeze from the night wind cool my face. With the silent darkness and the wind, the distant sounds of cars driving far down below, it was enough to lull someone to a wonderful and peaceful slumber. It should've put me right out.

But it didn't.

My mind was restless with so many thoughts running through it. My heart was pumping adrenaline throughout my entire body after the events that happened that night. The last thing I wanted was to go to sleep. In a way, it felt like I was preparing myself for anything else that could happen.

However, as long as the Batman was around, nothing unexpected would happen. That should've been enough to put my mind at ease.

But it didn't.

Maybe if I just sit outside with him, it would be enough to calm me down...

Taking my time in getting up from my bed, I grabbed a spare blanket from the edge, draping it around my shoulders as I walked slowly to the terrace. Once I reached the barrier, I was engulfed into every sound the City of Gotham had to offer to her citizens.

I don't know if I mentioned how much I loved the sounds of the city. The honking horns, the distant chatter of people talking, the hustle and bustle, even the sirens on police cars. Most people would get headaches just thinking about such noise, but given the right moments, the city was my version of a peaceful place.

It was peaceful because I knew I belonged there.

But I kept my head facing forward, trying not to look at the Batman as I walked onto the terrace. I didn't know if he would tell me to go back to bed and get some rest in that guttural tone of his, or just give me a stare until I retreated back inside to rid myself of the slight awkwardness.

He said nothing, nor did he look at me.

That just made it all the more awkward.

Sucking in a quiet breath, I sat down in my favorite lounge chair and just stared at the city ahead of me. Not many people know that it's hard to see the night sky when living in an urban world. The skyscrapers blocked out the stars and the moon. One would have to go way out into the Palisades to see such nocturnal and natural beauty and wonder in a clear sky. Of course, as soon as Wayne Manor was rebuilt I could see all the stars I wanted. Until then, I adapted by using my imagination. The lights that would shine through the windows of the skyscrapers were the stars for me.

As for a moon, the only light that was big enough to replace that was the signal Gordon would put up to call for the Batman.

Kind of silly and stupid and childish, I know, but...When you know the darker sides of Gotham City like I do...You tend to try and cling onto something childish in the hopes that you don't end up growing up too fast. It's happened to a lot of people in this town, and I promised myself that I wouldn't be one of them.

A hand was gently placed on my shoulder, prompting me to look up to find the Dark Knight by my side, his eyes more soft than what I usually saw in them. I was waiting for the moment when he would help me up and lead me back inside. It didn't happen. Nothing did for a while.

I continued to stare at him for a while until I got a little tired of the awkward silence and actually be brave enough to speak first.

"What?" I asked softly.

There was no reply except for a gentle push to get off my lounge chair. I resisted the urge to sigh out loud as I got up, leaving the blanket outside. Maybe I should've just stayed inside. I could've been asleep by now.

But the hand never left my shoulder and it wasn't guiding me back inside. Instead, it was leading me further towards the Batman. Confusion settling in, I looked back at him as I felt something wrap around my waist. I looked down and saw that a harness was tightly secured on me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, becoming more confused.

"...Just hang onto me as tight as you can," Was all I was told.

That ominous answer was enough to slowly let me know what was going to happen next. Carefully, I wrapped my arms around the Batman's neck, being slightly lifted up, coming closer to him.

I squeezed my eyes shut. There was only one thing about flying that I disliked, and that was the take-off part. For a few brief seconds, we would drop and fall through the air. Though I knew that we would fly soon, the drop was one of the scariest things I have ever felt in my life. I braced myself, waiting for my stomach to do somersaults like they had done before, my arms wrapping tighter around his neck.

Take a deep breath.

Hold it in.

Count backwards from five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

When the stomach-somersault didn't happen, I slowly opened my eyes...And my stomach was doing a different kind of somersault. The kind that I didn't mind at all.

The sight that laid before me was the top of every building in Gotham City flying fast below me.

Letting the breath I was holding out, my lips broke into a wide smile. Suddenly, everything seemed all right. Everything that had happened that night just flew away. I forgot everything bad that took place hours ago.

And all it took was just the simple task of going outside and going on a flight like I had done before.

It was wonderful.

For the next 10 minutes, I did nothing but smile and hang onto the Batman as we flew, run on the tops of buildings to catch momentum and flew higher. Once or twice I dared to let one of my arms let go of the armor, and stretch it out to the side. Just to catch the wind between my fingers.

I loved flying and I was so glad that I actually got to experience it once more.

But it was getting late and the magic was fading and I was growing tired. The past few nights and this nights events had exhausted me greatly. Before long, I found myself tucking my head in the crook of Batman's armor, closing my eyes as the glide we were in slowly stopped and I felt us crouch to the ground. Once we were back on the terrace, I heard the clock tower a mile or so away strike the hour and the bells began to toll and chime. While I drifted off into a peaceful deep sleep, I was lifted up in both arms, covered a bit by the long black cape.

The bells continued to chime throughout the entire city and in my last moments of consciousnessess, I counted them as I was laid down on my bed.

_Ding._

Nine.

_Ding._

Ten.

_Ding._

Eleven

_Ding._

Twelve.

...Midnight...

Then...that must mean...

Tucked under the covers, my hair was pulled away from my face, and a soft kiss was planted on my forehead before I heard the Batman quietly say:

"Happy birthday, Sarah Chante."

* * *

**_Author: *sleeping on the laptop*_**

**_Wayne: "Wake up!"_**

**_Author: *lazily wakes up and glares at Wayne* "What do you want?"_**

**_Wayne: "It's time to explain to your readers where you've been!"_**

**_Author: *yawns* "Computer crashed...Took a month to fix it..."_**

**_Wayne: "And?"_**

**_Author: "New job...Work late nights..."_**

**_Wayne: *getting impatient* "And?"_**

**_Author: "Filming once a week for a new entertainment show for the school..."_**

**_Wayne: *face getting red* "And?!"_**

**_Author: "I made out with the hot guy I'm dating in the cave while watching 'Batman Begins'."_**

**_Wayne: *blinks* "...You WHAT?!"_**

**_Author: *suddenly is awake and realized what she said* "Um...you weren't supposed to know that..." *to reviewers laughing nervously.* "Guys, review quickly so he doesn't severely hurt me. I love you dearly, I didn't mean to delay this chapter. Some stuff got in the way and some stuff wouldn't get out of the way and some stuff...well, come on, if a guy that looked like a mix of Chris Pine and Liam Hemsworth wanted to make out with you and kisses like a freakin' Greek god, you'd be distracted too. See ya'll later!" *takes off running with Wayne shouting obscenities after her*_**

**_***This chapter is dedicated to the memory of the man who inspired Josh Mason. We all miss you very much. You may not have been given the chance to start a family of your own in this life...But maybe with this story, you might still have that chance...***_**

**_***This chapter is also dedicated to my Dad. Thank you for giving me advice, even when I don't want it, teaching me, encouraging me, laughing with me, and giving me blessings only a father and the power of God can give. You are my favorite superhero. Happy Fathers Day.***_**

**_Love,_**

**_Sarah Chante_**


	18. Happy Birthday, Sarah Chante

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "The Dark Knight"_**

* * *

Today was my 13th birthday.

That was the first thought that zipped through my mind when I woke to the usual morning sound of the curtains being pulled from my windows.

As the bright sun poured its rays into my room, I fiercely tugged my blanket over my head to block out the light with an irritated whine.

I hated mornings. Particularly the getting up early part.

For a few seconds, I was allowed to indulge myself into blissful darkness. But it seemed like Alfred wasn't going to have any of that today. The next thing I knew, the covers were ripped away from my body, an apparently new method to get me out of bed.

I have to say, the old butler seemed to be a bit stronger today. Perhaps that time when he worked for governments in his younger days was still paying off.

But there is no way, and I mean _no way_, that I was going to give up so easily this morning.

I sharply groaned out loud as I secured a nearby pillow over my head to go back to sleep.

"Ugh," I groaned irritably. "I hate mornings! Alfred, why can't school start in the afternoon, when people are actually awake? Five more minutes! Please!"

Maybe my rebuttal could have been more mature, I realize that. But after the past couple of nights of no sleep, nightmares, and being chased by murdering psychotic clowns, I was in no mood to get up right away.

And it was my birthday- -All the more reason why I deserve that extra five minutes.

Some weight was adding pressure to my mattress, telling me that someone was leaning over me, planting both hands on either side of my body.

There was still no way that old man was going to get me out of bed now!

"Five more minutes," a soft voice declared, lifting the pillow slightly off of my head. "Then come downstairs for breakfast."

Wait a second...Was I still dreaming? Or did I actually hear Bruce come wake me up to get ready for breakfast and school?

Suspiciously, I lifted the pillow off of my head, looking toward the doorway that led into my room. Was he really just in here, or was I really dreaming?

...OK, based on past experience, and the fact that Bruce usually doesn't get up until three in the afternoon, I'm going to say that I'm actually dreaming.

Before I went back to sleep, I glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand, wondering how much time I had left...

Wait a second.

...Why did my clock say it was 9:30 in the morning?

I grabbed my alarm clock off of the table and brought it closer to my face to make sure I was seeing things correctly. And, yes indeed, it very much did say 9:30 A.M..

And school started and hour and a half ago.

Not only did I overslept, I was completely and totally late for school. Something that Alfred never let happen. Ever.

I looked at the doorway again, completely confused. Why would Alfred not wake me up in time for school? And how on earth did Bruce talk him into letting me sleep in and skip school?

Truth be told, I was actually looking forward to going to school on my birthday. Students were allowed to decorate their friends lockers. Plus, we could go out to lunch, just like the high school students were allowed to do.

Granted, I was also supposed to start my week of detention today, but I didn't mind that.

Still befuddled at what was going on, I climbed out of my bed, grabbed my bathrobe, putting it on while I headed downstairs.

When I got to the top of the black winding staircase, I surveyed the living room below me. Apart from the police tape and plastic sheet that covered the broken window, you wouldn't have guessed that anything horrible had happened last night. At that thought, I immediately made myself stop thinking about it more before a memory of the Joker could invade my mind.

As I walked downstairs more, I was greeted with the wonderful scents of breakfast. I inhaled the heavenly aroma and smiled to myself.

Like I mentioned before- -Alfred was great at cooking and anything, but the type of food he cooked best was breakfast.

I wonder what he's making for my birthday breakfast...

I took a few sniffs through my nose, trying to decipher the meal.

Let's see...

For starters, I could smell eggs being cooked, so that meant scrambled eggs because Alfred knew I liked them that way.

I inhaled through my nose again as I reached the bottom of the staircase. The scent of sizzling, crisp, bacon wafted against my nostrils this time. But there was one more that I couldn't quite put my finger on...

It only took a few moments for me to figure it out, and then my eyes grew wide with excitement.

No. Way.

Alfred was making his famous French Toast!

I had just barely woken up and already this was turning out to be a great birthday. And I haven't even had breakfast yet!

"Oh yeah," I said to myself in triumph, tying my bathrobe around me. "Happy Birthday to me."

As soon as I tied my bathrobe, I rushed to the kitchen as fast as I could with a smile on my face. Once or twice my leg tensely twitched with pain, but I didn't mind. Today was my birthday and I wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Not my leg, not the Joker- -Nothing was going to mess up today.

Once I reached the threshold of the kitchen, I saw Alfred at the stove, busy putting the finishing touches on the French Toast. Bruce and Rachel were there too, talking by the counter, while Rachel was busy setting plates and eating utensils on it. They didn't notice me at first, so I was able to hear them talk to each other as if I wasn't in the room.

"I don't think I like the idea of you letting her skip school today, Bruce," Rachel reprimanded my godfather.

"After last night," Bruce explained softly. "She could use a day off, Rachel. Besides, I was going to anyway. And it's only skipping if you don't tell the school or your parents."

"You would know, sir," Alfred quipped.

"Hey, let's not turn this on me, all right?"

While Bruce was protesting to Alfred about whatever knowledge or past experience he had with skipping school, Rachel looked up from setting the counter and saw me standing in the kitchen. As soon as she smiled and came towards me, I returned the smile in kind and reached my arms around her.

"She's up and about!" Rachel announced as she hugged me tight. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart!"

"Thanks," I slightly giggled at her level of enthusiasm.

Bruce and Alfred looked up to find Rachel and I laughing and hugging each other. Before I knew it, my godfather rushed towards me, lifting me up in his arms.

"Gotcha!" he declared.

My laughter kicked up a notch as Bruce spun me around, going back and forth, just like he did a few weeks ago when I came to visit him at Wayne Enterprises. I loved it when he did that. It was one of my favorite things that he did. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him as much as I could. I couldn't stop smiling; I couldn't stop laughing.

I was completely happy.

"Happy Birthday, Sarah Chante," he said smiling, shifting me in his arms a bit. "Oh, you're getting big. I think you grew an inch overnight."

"Bruce," I giggled in response. "That's impossible."

We were all acting like last night had never happened; like we weren't just running for our lives or fighting the criminally insane. It was rare moments like this that made me feel like everything was normal around the house.

Maybe that's what I wanted cor my birthday- - A normal day.

I knew there was no such thing as normal, but it was still a wish ox mine.

For now, I was just happy that I was able to spend the day with Bruce.

* * *

Breakfast that morning seemed to be rushed. It was almost as if Alfred was desperate to get Bruce and I out the door. Considering that it was my birthday breakfast, and that it was french toast, I didn't want to budge. However, Bruce was very persistent about having me hurry up, so I begrudgingly cut my meal short, and got myself ready for whatever it was Bruce had in store for me.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were kicking me out so they could get a party ready...

...Geez, I hope it's not a big one...

For my birthday, Bruce thought it would be fun if he took me out to the Palisades near where Wayne Manor was being fixed and teach me horse-back riding.

I have never ridden a horse before, but, like every other girl in the world, has always wanted one.

When my godfather saw how ecstatic I was to the prospect of finally being able to ride, he looked happy and relieved at the same time. Maybe he was still worried about how my birthday was going to turn out.

When we arrived at the Equestrian Center outside of the city limits, Bruce and I were led by a stablehand to the stables where we were met with the finest horses they had to offer. Knowing that I had never been horse-back riding before, Bruce taught me how to saddle a horse and groom it. Of all the things my godfather knew, I never thought that he would know a thing or two about horses.

While he showed me the basics, he told me how he came to possess such knowledge that was unfitting of his billionaire play-boy persona.

Apparently, Alfred made him get lessons in order to get out of the house one summer when he was a teenager. At the time, my mother was a skilled rider, so she was the one who made sure Bruce went to his lessons. They spent that summer riding horses together.

Unfortunately, my mother's horse was not taking residence in the Equestrian Center anymore, but the offspring was. A beautiful caramel colored horse named Griffen bobbed its head happily when I came to his stall and offered him a few apple slices from my hand. I had giggled when the whiskers on his mouth and nose tickled my palm as he ate.

I don't remember what Bruce's horse was named, but I do remember how huge it was when i stood next to it and the dark charcoal color it possessed.

After we had the horses groomed and prepped, my godfather and I finally went out riding in the woods, right next to where Wayne Manor was. The first few minutes we spent, I galloped as fast as the horse was able to. My godfather, ever the protective one, urged me not to, fearing that I would fall off and injure myself, but I was having too much fun to care if I got hurt. However, I humored Bruce and slowed the horse down to a walk. He seemed pretty pleased after that.

Soon, we were deep in the woods, and well within the property boundaries of Wayne Manor. We were advised to stay on the recommended trails near the Equestrian Center, but Bruce wanted to tell me a bit about the Wayne Family history. I listened to his stories as we trotted beside one another.

"My Great-Great-Grandfather was actually involved in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War," he said. "He used this trail we're on right now and it goes all the way up ahead of us."

"So did he actually get to meet Harriet Tubman?" I asked eagerly.

"More than likely," Bruce smiled at my enthusiasm.

"So where does the trail lead to?"

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. But the horses can't come up with us. We'll have to tie them and leave them here."

I took that as Bruce's signal to stop my horse and slid off, ready to continue this little adventure. After patting Griffen's neck lovingly, I began tying the reins securely around a nearby tree. While I made sure that the horse wasn't going to escape anytime soon, I had happened to glance down on the ground and discovered something rather peculiar. Curious, I bent down to the dirt floor gently, wiping off the soil and moving away the orange and yellow leaves to get a better look. When I finished and inspected it in my hand, I smiled.

Gently sitting in my palm with spots of dirt around it was an arrowhead. I remembered Rachel telling me a while ago that she, my mother, and Bruce would find all kinds of things out here, including arrowheads, when they were children. An arrowhead seemed to be a symbol of their friendship and childhood, more so to Bruce and Rachel.

I continued looking at it, running my finger along the rough edges.

"What you got there?"

Quickly, I closed my hand around the arrowhead, hiding it behind my back as I turned myself around to find Bruce. He looked like he had been getting ready to glance over my shoulder.

"Nothing," I declared, with a smile on my face.

My little innocent act didn't fool my godfather. A smirk tugged at the corner of hs lips as he folded his arms, deciding to play along with my little game.

"I see," he mused. "Then I'm sure you won't mind showing me this 'nothing' you're hiding behind your back, hmm?"

My innocent smiled turned into a huge grin of a mischievous nature when I replied:

"Finders Keepers!"

Then, with the arrowhead safe in my back pocket, I took off running as fast as i could along the trail ahead of us. I imagine that it took Bruce a few moments to let what I had said sink in before he went after me, laughing and chuckling like I had.

Though he was usually faster than I ever will be, today seemed different. I was still running faster than him, even with my injured leg. Maybe he was taking it easy on my today, but I still pretended that I outran him, no matter what condition I was in.

After a short while, I decided to hide a bit, so I could jump out and scare him when he finally caught up. So I quickly buried myself behind the largest bushes I could find, pressing my back against a moss-covered rock wall. All I had to do next was endure a few second's of natures silence before my godfather appear.

Despite his League of Shadows training that always seemed to be on full patrol, Bruce knew once in a while to let go and have fun. I just had to hope that this was one of those times, otherwise this game I was trying to play would utterly fail.

Soon, Bruce came into the clearing and stopped, taking the time to look around for me. I bit my lip to keep my giggles silenced, wondering how long it would take for him to find me before I jumped out.

"Sarah?" he called out.

If he was calling my name now, he must have given up trying to figure out where I was hiding. Still, I hid further back into the bushes, careful not to make any noise.

...And yet, a sliver of wind brushed past my wrist, awakening my curiosity, quenching that small spirit of adventure's thirst I had inside. I turned around a bit to find myself pressing against a huge boulder, blocking some sort of entrance. But that wasn't what caught my eye...

"Sarah, we're running out of time," my godfather called for me again. "The horses have to be back in the stables in a half hour."

Crouching more towards the ground, I traced the deep jagged carved initials I had discovered on top of this rock.

_J.M._

...**_Mom_**?...

Wanting answers to the new questions I had, I jumped out of my hiding place, making myself known in the most abrupt manner.

"Hey Bruce!" I practically shouted.

Usually, nothing scared my godfather- -at least, from what I've known. But when I unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere, shouting, Bruce flinched a little as he turned around, and then smiled a bit in relief.

"Good job," he said, coming over. "You startled me."

"Look what I found," I waved my hand over to the boulder.

Carefully stepping over the bushes that I had hid behind, Bruce knelt down next to m, inspecting the huge rock that sat before us. As I watched him, a small smil appeared on his lips, running his fingers over the initials I suspected my mother had carved many years ago.

"When we were kids," Bruce started softly after a few moments of silence. "And your mother would visit, I would often wake up in the middle of the night to find her sneaking out of the Manor and heading towards the woods...One day, I finally had the courage to ask her where it was that she would go to...She said she had a secret place that no one else knew about. It was somewhere around here, but she'd always forget where the entrance was, so she carved her initials near there so she would always find it..." Bruce looked at me, still smiling. "This must be it...I actually forgot about it until now."

As soon as Bruce mentioned that my mother had a secret place of solitude, I started pushing the rock aside, revealing the opening that led inside a cavern. It wasn't a huge opening, but it was big enough for Bruce to crawl inside.

"Whoa..." I remarked.

I tried to imagine my mother when she was around my age, going inside this dark and dank place.

Why would she come here? What was so special about this place that made it her sanctuary?

I felt greatly compelled to go exploring inside this dark place. Never mind the creepy, crawly things and the mud that would get my clothes dirty. I felt the need to have a bit of adventure.

Before I even realized it, I was crawling inside. It only took a few seconds for my godfather to notice what I was doing.

"Hey, whoa, wait!" he tried to grab a hold of me. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna see where it leads to," I kept on crawling.

"Sarah, no. Get back here."

But I was already well out of Bruce's reach.

"You're gonna injure your leg more," he was starting to get over-protective.

"I'll be OK," I called back. "Come on!"

I thought that by encouraging Bruce to come with me, he wouldn't be so hesitant on allowing me to explore what was once my mother's secret place. Before long, I finally heard him crawl inside, muttering under his breath. I don't know exactly what he was saying to himself, however, I'm pretty sure there was a swear word or two somewhere in those worried mutterings of his.

Smiling to myself, I continued on leading the way through this dark place. I had no idea where I was going, but somehow, that just made our little adventure more exciting. After a few more seconds, it got a little more lighter, and I could hear the running splashes of a waterfall, smashing upon the rocks that laid below it.

Then, the small tunnel became more open and airy, leading into a giant cave.

I planted my feet on the ground and stood up straight when I reached the end of the tunnel, immersed by the sounds of squeaks, chirps, and flutters of wings.

"Wow."

I craned my neck upward to wink in the full grasp of how large this cave was. It was massive! But the strange squeaks and flutters gave me a sense of deja vu. I felt as if I had been in there before, but I couldn't really remember right away.

Soon, Bruce was right behind me and was just as much in awe as I was.

The only difference is that he knew where we were...

He knew exactly where we were...

A breath of a chuckle escaped him.

"...Well, what do you know?" I could hear the smile in his voice. "Jenny knew about this place before I did."

I was about to ask what he was talking about when it all just suddenly hit me.

The darkness.

The squeaks.

The flutter of wings.

The waterfall.

...We were in the cave underneath Wayne Manor.

And that's when I realized that before it was Bruce's Batcave, it was my mother's secret place as a child.

Since I discovered this sentimental fact, I felt that of all the riches I would inherit when the time came, this cave would really, truly be mine. Everywhere I looked, I imagined my mother as her twelve-year-old self walking around this big cavern, unafraid of the darkness and the creatures that took place on the rocky ceiling above us. This must have been the one place where she could be herself.

In everyone's life, when we are children, there was always that one place we go to when we wanted to be alone; when we needed to think without the outside world distracting us.

How magical it must have felt for her to be in here...

I wonder if she knew that I was there now...

Bruce placed a hand on my shoulder, a strong grip taking hold, almost pulling me back.

"We have to go," he declared softly.

"Why?" I asked, confused. "We just got here."

"Sarah," I could hear a hint of fear in Bruce's voice. "Let's go **_now_**."

I turned myself around, facing my godfather.

"Bruce, what's wrong?" I demanded.

It was then that I realized a few things.

One was remembering the fact that though my godfather was a masked vigilante based on bats, he still had a healthy dose of fear of these nocturnal creatures.

Another was the the whole cave was full of them.

Since we entered their home, I didn't really notice how the way their sounds increased in volume. The more they squeaked and flew, the more it became known to Bruce that they were preparing for something. Something that he had to have experienced before, but never told me.

My question had barely escaped my lips when Bruce quickly pulled me towards him, forcing me to crouch near the ground, his arms shielding my head protectively. By instinct, I wrapped both my arms around him. It never occurred to me right away that I was being protected from a colony of bats, swarming in twisters around us, my godfather and I dead center in the middle of it.

I could feel the wind against my cheeks from being brushed by their frantic, flapping wings. The only sound I heard other than their loud chirps was Bruce's labored breathing. I could only guess that he was trying to calm himself. It was baffling to know that he was afraid right now.

Usually, it was the other way around.

For some reason, I wasn't afraid of these creatures of the night. On the contrary, I found the whole situation to be quite mysterious and strange, and that was something that I loved very much.

After a few seconds, I dared to open my eyes to behold the scene that unraveled around us. Not only was it just as mysterious and strange as I had predicted, but these twisters of bats appeared beautiful to me. With wonder and awe swelling inside of me, I gazed at this rare sight of animal behavior.

This was something that would stay with me forever.

Before long, it all dissipated, and the bats flew to other parts of the cave, their formed cyclones gone and everything quieted. I tried to keep a smile to myself, but I couldn't help but let it grow as Bruce slowly loosened his grip, placing both hands on my shoulders so that he could look at me.

The only thing that stopped the smile was the way he looked at me.

I expected him to have a look of concern on his face, given that I was caught up in a situation like this. Instead, something else took its place.

A look of fear.

* * *

Bruce and I sat in his Lamborghini Murcielago in silence as we drove through the busy city of Gotham. I didn't want to ask him why he looked at me the way he did back in the cave. He was never really one to express his feelings openly, but I still wanted to know what was going on.

I just didn't want to ask so abruptly, especially when we were on our way home.

So I stared out the open window, my arms resting on the sill, gazing at the citizens that walked by on the sidewalks.

When we reached a street light, Bruce's cell phone rang, and I listened to his end of the conversation.

"Bruce Wayne," he answered. "...Yes, Jessica, what is it?...That's today?..." Bruce let out a bit of an exasperated sigh. "All right, thanks for reminding me."

By the time he hung up the phone, I was looking at Bruce with a blank face as he started driving the car again, but going pass the way to get home.

"What's up?" I asked softly.

"I have to make a quick stop somewhere," Bruce replied, sounding guilty. "I forgot that I made the appointment on your birthday. I meant to reschedule- -"

"What is it?"

"...I'm going to pay a visit to the children that live in St. Swithins."

"Can I go in with you?"

Bruce smiled for the first time since what happened in the cave, and looked at me, a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah," he said as we pulled up near the curb.

I looked out the window of the car door at the building we pulled up next to when Bruce said I could go and visit the children with him. It was a tall, grey, four-story structure, and I could barely see a playground on the top of the roof. I remember thinking how lucky they were to have a swing set and a basketball court up there, and wished that I had one too. On a gold plaque outside the door, the edges rusted with age, the words "ST. SWITHIN'S HOME FOR BOYS" glistened brightly in the sunlight. I opened the door, still staring at the building while Bruce came around the corner.

But when I moved my bandaged leg out of the car first and moved to stand up, I found that it was starting to sting and hurt a little. Feeling cautious, I slowly sat back down on the seat, trying to make the pain go away.

"We'll only be a short while, then we can go back to celebrating your- -"

Bruce turned around to look at me, then stopped when he saw me still sitting in the car, holding my leg a bit to try and alleviate the pain. He casually strolled back to where I was, and crouched in front of me.

"Your leg?" he asked softly.

"It's just aching a little," I replied. "That's all."

After a bit of silence, Bruce nodded in understanding, and gently placed my hands on his shoulders.

"Put your hands around my neck," he advised.

I did as he asked as he hoisted me up with one arm, carrying me like Celia would carry her little siblings up the stairs. It was easy for him, seeing how small I was, even for a thirteen year old.

"There we go," he said. "Hang on tight."

With his other arm, Bruce closed the passenger side door, and walked with me on his arm up the stairs to the front door before ringing the door bell. He then flashed a smile at me as we waited to be let in.

"I haven't carried you like this since you were five," he declared in a light, teasing tone. "How old are you again?"

"Ha-ha," I replied sarcastically as he chuckled.

"Just let me know when you feel up to walking again."

I nodded in reply as the front door open to reveal an old man in his early fifties.

"Mr. Wayne," he greeted kindly. "Glad you could make it, sir. I'm Father Reilly."

"Good to meet you, Father Reilly," Bruce shook the man's hand with a smile. "I hope you don't mind that I brought my goddaughter with me. We're celebrating her birthday today."

Father Reilly glanced at me when I was mentioned and widely smiled in my direction.

"I don't mind at all," he put a hand on my arm as I smiled back at him. "We're glad to have her here. I hope she doesn't mind spending a bit of her day with a group of boys."

As soon as he mentioned the group of boys, a stampede of young men, ranging from the ages of maybe four years old to fully grown teenagers, came rushing down the stairs while Father Reilly let Bruce and I in. I clutched onto Bruce a little tighter, almost fearing that they were going to knock us down considering how fast they were going. Luckily, they didn't.

Taking no notice of me, the boys started asking my godfather a million questions at a time. "Can I have a car just like yours?" "How did you get so rich?" "It's Bruce Wayne: Billionaire Orphan!". Bruce just chuckled at how excited these young men were, trying to answer one boy's question, but laughing when another made a remark. I just stayed quiet for a bit, letting Bruce talk with these boys while he held onto me.

While Father Reilly was trying to settle everyone down, and move the whole party into a larger room, I had happened to glance at the top of the staircase.

All alone, with a hand on the banister, stood a tall young man with jet-black hair. His face made him look like my age, but the way he stood and composed himself made me think that he was probably a bit older than me.

He was just...staring at Bruce. Just staring. Like there was no one else in the room but the two of them. My godfather didn't take notice of him, but I did. The young man didn't look at me, but I could tell that he was well aware of my presence in the crowded and noisy room.

I slipped out of my godfather's arms, trying to keep my eye on this boy. Bruce continued talking with the group of boys, not even paying attention to where I was, too wrapped up in what was going on around him.

Good. That would give me time to talk to this peculiar boy.

When I got to the stairs, he wasn't on the landing anymore. He couldn't have gotten downstairs; I would've bumped into him. My only guess was that he went back upstairs.

I looked back to the rest of the group as they went into another room, oblivious that I had left. After making sure that it was OK to go up, I continued up the stairs as best as I could with an injured leg.

Going downstairs would be easier with my leg. It's the getting up that's hard to do.

What was it about this boy that made me want to talk to him? Why was he staring at Bruce the way he did?

I slowly walked down the hallway, the hard cherry-wood floors creaking with every few steps that I made. Passing glances in the various rooms I walked by, I actually found who I was looking for in the room at the end of the hall. Slowly, I walked to the door frame, peaking through the crack left open, and watched him a bit.

He was sitting on the window-seat, reading a book that had been thumbed through a hundred times. I was just about to go back downstairs, deciding not to bother him, but then I watched him closely.

Either he was a really fast reader, or he was just pretending to read because he knew I caught him looking at my godfather strangely. His eyes shifted from left to right in rapid speed. After watching him for five minutes in utter silence, I decided that him actually reading was total bull.

Besides, what kind of a teenage boy actually reads when he isn't required to?

With confidence, I opened the door more and walked in like I owned the place, arms folded across my chest.

"Good book?" I asked.

The boy jumped a little when I "announced" myself, and glanced to where I was.

Staring at me with those blue eyes of his, looking a little shocked, I could probably tell what he was thinking.

What was this kid doing in my room? Why is she even here?

I tried to not apologize for my little entrance. Instead, I just stood there as he stuttered for an answer.

"Um..." he stammered as he held up the book for me to see. " _'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'_? Yeah, it's a good book."

...OK, and I thought **_I_** was a bad liar. Never mind, I'll just play along.

"Uh-huh," I said, walking towards him. "How many times have you read it?"

He must've known that I was onto him because he started bringing out his poor acting skills, acting like this was a normal conversation between the two of us.

"A bunch of times," he replied, putting the book down.

"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in interest, smirking a little. "Then you can tell me if the Headless Horseman is either a man in a costume or a ghost."

From the look on his face, I could tell that I had cornered this guy. He may have been taller than me and stronger than me, but when it came to reading classic stories, he was not smarter than me.

His stammer disappeared and his pale face went back to his normal color, and he folded his arms defensively, almost glaring down at me from where he stood. I just smirked back innocently, satisfied that I had out-smarted him. No words would be exchanged- -Just the sheer joy of victory rushing through my veins.

The young man then glanced down at my leg before looking back at me.

"Did he do that to you?" he pointed at the bandages.

"Who?" I asked, almost confused.

"The Joker."

This time, it was my face that paled a bit, just by hearing that name. My mouth opened a little bit in shock as I looked down at my injured leg, surprised at how bluntly he just asked that. How dare he ask such a personal question!

But when I looked back at him, about to tell him it was none of his business, I saw another expression that took over the boy's face.

Sadness.

At this point, I sighed in defeat, and sat myself on the window seat, looking at my lap.

"No," I breathed out. "...It was an accident. I was trying to get away from him and I smashed my foot through the window."

"...Does it hurt?" the boy asked softly, sitting down next to me.

"Like hell."

A small laugh left the boys lips, leaving a smile on his face behind, amused at how I answered his question. It sounded musical, in a way. Somehow, it made my heart skip a beat...

Oh great. Does this mean I'm getting a crush on another boy that's older than me? I'm already having trouble handling one guy. I don't need to turn into Ally and Kayla and have multiple crushes at a time.

I smiled back, laughing too, as we let our guards down.

"How old are you?" he asked me, smiling at me.

"Twelve- -Thirteen," I corrected myself.

The boy looked confused.

"Which is it?" he asked, almost laughing again.

Heat rose to my cheeks in embarrassment, and I looked down at my lap again.

"Thirteen," I replied again. "...It's my birthday today."

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks...How old are you?"

"Almost sixteen."

"Cool..."

Somehow, it got even more awkward between this teenage boy and I. I didn't understand why. For a moment, I almost forgot why I came up there in the first place.

It was a bit...strange at how I composed myself in front of him in the beginning. I guess you can say it was an out-of-body experience for me. One minute, I was shy and reserved, ready to bury myself in Bruce's shoulder. The next minute, I was standing tall, demanding answers in confidence, and out-witting a sixteen year old.

But now, I was back to being shy and reserved.

Was this what growing up was like? A roller-coaster of emotions that come barreling out of nowhere? An enigma of characteristics that you never knew you could have in your lifetime just appearing out of the blue and then disappearing?

...What would I be like when I was older? Would I be how I was a few seconds before, or would I stay the same?

Honestly, I prefer staying the same, but somehow I doubted that was going to happen.

"You know," the boy broke the silence, rubbing the back of his neck as he pointed at my bandaged leg. "I could rewrap that for you, if you like. You probably have it on too tight."

I squinted my eyes at him confused.

"It doesn't feel tight," I remarked. "...I'll let you do it if you tell me something."

The boy shrugged, thinking it was a fair deal.

"...Why were you staring at my godfather so much?...You had this...I don't know, look on your face..."

Turning his attention away from me, this teenager stared at nothing but the dirty, hardwood floor that laid below our feet. He almost looked guilty...

No, not guilty..._Afraid_...

And it wasn't like he was afraid of me, or Bruce...It was more like he was afraid to tell me the reason for his staring.

"I don't know if you want me to answer that," he let out a nervous chuckle, glancing at me before looking down on the ground again.

"Sarah!"

I looked to the doorway as I heard my name being called by my godfather, echoing in the hallways. Bruce was looking for me, wondering where I had gone off to while he was doing his visit. He sounded like he didn't want to wait for me long, and the last thing I wanted was for him to come looking for me himself and catch me talking alone with a boy.

Quickly, I stood up from my seat and walked quickly out the door.

"Coming, Bruce!" I called back.

Before disappearing completely, I smiled at the boy. He was standing up now, looking at me, probably wondering why I was leaving so suddenly without pestering him to answer my question.

"You know," I shrugged. "It's probably not important to know why you were staring...It was nice meeting you...um- -"

"It's John."

"...John."

And with that, I rushed down the stairs without another word, finding Bruce waiting for me at the bottom, Father Reilly near the door. His amused smile swept across his face.

"Where'd you run off to?" he asked, holding an arm out to drape across my shoulders.

I shrugged a little in response.

"Exploring," I answered innocently.

Bruce just chuckled.

"You've been doing that a lot today," he remarked, guiding me to the door. "Father Reilly, thank you for having us."

"It's our pleasure, Mr. Wayne," Father Reilly smiled at my godfather. "Thank you for your generous help and for the Wayne Foundation. It's been nothing but a blessing for the boys here."

"Anything I can do to help. I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but- -" Bruce glanced at me. "- -we have a birthday to celebrate and presents to open."

Father Reilly turned his smile towards me, almost crouching to my level.

"I hope you have a wonderful birthday," he wished for me.

"Thank you," I smiled in kind.

After we said our goodbyes and headed outside, I kept looking back at the front door of St. Swithin's Home For Boys as we headed toward the car. Part of me wished that we could've spent more time there so I could talk more with the young man who stared at my godfather. But I knew that we had to get home for whatever birthday scheme they had cooked up for me.

Bruce opened the passenger side door for me, letting me in. As he walked to the other side of the car, and I buckled up, I took one last glance at the boys home.

I had to smile a little as I found the boy, John, at the window of the second floor, looking out at me.

He waved.

I waved back.

...And that was the last time I saw the boy in the window...For a very long time.

* * *

Before long, Bruce and I were back at Gotham Century Towers, taking the elevator up to the Penthouse. So far, this birthday had been very eventful, and it was barely past lunchtime. I couldn't wait to see what else the day had in store for me.

Just when we were about to reach our floor, my godfather suddenly turned to me, kneeling down a bit, placing his hands on both my arms.

"Sarah, listen," he exhaled a bit. "I want to talk to you about something...Something very important."

In an instant, I feared that I was in trouble.

"Is this about me wandering off lately?" I asked quickly. "'Cause I won't do it again, Bruce. I promise- -"

"No," Bruce shook his head chuckling. "No, Sarah...This is...Um..."

He was stuttering...Why was my godfather stuttering? He was also beginning to look down on the ground a bit. This wasn't like him...

"Is something wrong?" I asked cautiously.

Bruce looked back up at me, and chuckled.

"Everything's fine," he breathed out. "It's just...um...A lot of things have happened lately...I know some of them were bad, but uh...Things are gonna change that. They're gonna change them for the better, and pretty soon our lives will be easier...I had an idea about starting something that I want you to be a part of, but I can't do that until I take care of things, and I promise you, they'll be taken care of as soon as possible..."

"...Bruce, what is it?"

"...Well, Sarah...I guess what I'm trying to say here is...I was wondering if you would like to be- -"

"_Kayla, I **swear**, I will **kill** you_!"

At this sudden outburst, Bruce and I snapped our heads toward the opening doors of the elevator, revealing the living room of the Penthouse...

...And Ally chasing Kayla around the couches and the fireplace, looking absolutely pissed.

Kayla, as usual, was laughing her head off, obviously proud of whatever prank she pulled on her cousin.

"Kayla!" Ally shouted at her cousin. "Give it back!"

First, I was confused. It wasn't even 3:30 in the afternoon. Why were my friends here when they should have been in school? Secondly, what the heck did Kayla take from Ally?

Whatever it was, I knew I would be the one to have to break it up. I always was.

"Here we go again..." I mumbled under my breath.

Leaving Bruce in the elevator, I rushed over to my feuding friends, stopping Ally from throwing a priceless terra-cotta at Kayla, who was shielding herself with Alfred's favorite silver platter he had out for decoration.

"Guys!" I almost shouted at them. "Seriously? _**Again**_ with the fighting?"

"What are you doing home so early?" Ally asked, almost accusingly.

"Uh, I _live_ here. What are **_you_** guys doing here?"

Apparently, Bruce had the answer to that question.

"They're supposed to be helping Alfred decorate the living room for your birthday," he confirmed as he walked right behind me.

I could sense the raised eyebrows in Bruce's voice, casting their disapproving look in my friends direction. Ally immediately felt guilty, sheepishly giving him the terra cotta she was getting ready to throw, and looked at her shoes.

"Surprise," Kayla grinned from behind her silver shield, then glancing at my godfather. "Hey Mr. Wayne, thanks for bailing us out of that Science class. I really wasn't prepared for that pop quiz. Mainly because I lost my textbook and- -"

"That's your excuse for everything!" Ally retorted, folding her arms and glaring.

"But it's true this time!"

"Kayla," Bruce started. "You can thank me by putting down that plate before Alfred catches you playing with it, and helping him out."

"He already has help," Kayla put down the platter. "Celia's helping him decorate the cake."

Rachel came in just then, carrying a few wrapped presents in her arms. When she saw Bruce and I had returned home, she gave my godfather a disapproving look.

"Bruce," she sighed. "You weren't supposed to bring her home for another hour."

"Sorry," Bruce went over to help Rachel carry some of my gifts. "I had a lot on my mind."

I had almost forgotten about our conversation in the elevator completely. Was whatever it was we were talking about occupying most of Bruce's thoughts?

"Hey, Bruce," I said as he set the gifts down on the couch. "What was it you wanted to ask me just now?"

"...Uh..."

He probably didn't think that I noticed, but I caught the quick glance to Rachel, and I knew that look he gave her very well.

It didn't take a genius to know that my godfather cared about Rachel very much. My deepest wish was that they could be together, and I could tell in Bruce's eyes that that's what he wanted as well.

But then he looked back at me and smiled.

"It can wait," he said.

I shrugged, trying to let my curiosity of what Bruce wanted to ask me pass away, but deep in my heart, I wanted to know so much.

Whatever it was he wanted to talk about, it involved both Rachel and I, that was for sure...

Before I could think more on the subject, Ally distracted me once more as Bruce and Rachel left the room.

"Kayla," she said through gritted teeth. "Give. Me. My. Cell-Phone."

I rolled my eyes groaning.

"Aw, geez, Kay," I complained, looking at the spunky Chicago brunette. "Who are you trying to prank call this time? Don't you ever get tired of doing that?"

"Uh, no," Kayla looked at me like I was crazy. "Besides, I'm not prank-calling." Then she grinned widely at Ally. "I'm blackmailing."

"Kayla..." Ally walked slowly over to her cousin, shooting daggers with her glares. "The past 24 hours have been nothing but a nightmare. I've had a gun pointed at me, Mom is pregnant- -"

"Hey," I said enthusiastically. "Congratulations!"

"Shut up, Sarah."

"OK."

"- -And I'm now dealing with you and your little hair-brained schemes."

"Look," Kayla held her hands up in defense, waving Ally's iPhone around. "All I'm saying is that if you do my Science homework for a month- -with the **_right_** answers this time- -I won't tell anyone about your little texting buddy."

Although it greatly peaked my interest about Ally's little secret, I thought this whole thing was juvenile in general.

If you, dear readers, think that they don't act like this when they're older, trust me when I say that you are dead wrong.

They're worse.

But you won't discover that in this part of the story.

"_**For-get it**_!" Ally protested.

"Ally and Josh are texting each other," Kayla spilled the secret to me quick.

"What?!" I asked, completely surprised.

OK, I did **_not_** see that coming.

Before Ally could even growl, Kayla took off into the kitchen to avoid her wrath tossing the cell phone onto the couch before her, and disappeared. I could hear Alfred's exclamation of how he reminded her that there was no running in the kitchen, and Kayla's giggling.

Ally didn't even bother going after her cousin. She just picked up her cell phone, putting it in her pocket.

"So..." I bit my lip to keep a huge grin off my face as I walked over to my friend. "You and my- -"

"Don't say it," Ally pointed a finger at me.

I just held my hands up, still trying to keep from grinning...

Luckily, I didn't have to keep it still for too long.

Neither did Ally.

Our small silence grew into a fit of giggles as we threw our arms around each other, hugging.

"Happy birthday, Sarah," she said through her laughter. "Oh, I'm so glad you're all right. Everyone was so worried last night."

"I'm just glad you guys are all right," I remarked, breaking the embrace and sitting on the couch.

"Are you sure you're all right? I mean, he didn't hurt you too much, did he? 'Cause if he did- -"

"Ally...Let's not talk about him today, OK?"

The last thing I wanted to talk about today was my ordeal with the Joker. What I wanted was to forget that last night ever happened. Ally looked a little guilty for bringing the subject up.

"Right," she said sitting down. "Sorry...A lot's been on my mind lately."

"Yeah," I teased, hoping to lighten the mood. "Becoming a big sister again? It's a lot to take in. How's your mom doing?"

Ally made a face.

"I don't think you wanna know," she advised. "She has morning sickness so bad, it's almost too gross to even think about it."

I just giggled again, dropping the subject.

Just then, Kayla and Celia came running out of the kitchen, throwing themselves onto the couch next to me, laughing as they hugged me.

"Happy Birthday, Sarah!" Celia exclaimed. "Hey! What happened to your leg?"

I stopped my laughter immediately and stared at Celia, confused.

"You- -" I stammered a bit. "You mean you don't know?"

"Nope," Celia shrugged, still grinning happily. "Not a clue. Why? What'd you do? Get in a fight with a shark or something?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Kayla asked Celia. "The Joke- -Ow! Sarah!"

In an effort to safeguard Celia's emotional well-being, I pinched Kayla's arm as hard as I could so she could shut up before she mentioned the Joker. I didn't want Celia to have another panic attack. Not here. Not now. Not today.

Today was a day for celebration. It was a gift that allowed us to forget what went on outside the safe walls of our home. At least, for the time being.

Celia looked at Kayla, then looked at me, knowing that whatever I had her best interests at heart. I just gave her a small wincing smile.

"I'll tell you later, Ci," I promised.

Ci just nodded as Bruce, Alfred, and Rachel came out of the kitchen to find Ally and Kayla still recovering from the laughing fest. In his hands, Alfred carried a delicious looking cake, with snow-white frosting and bright pink icing piped around the edges and a smile on his face.

"Well," Rachel sighed as she sat down next to me, an arm around my shoulders. "So much for the surprise birthday party."

"As well as the balloons..." Alfred said slowly as he inspected the living room, before glancing warily at Ally and Kayla. "You two were supposed to put them up. What exactly were you doing?"

Immediately, Ally and Kayla erupted, accusing one another, trying to place the blame with "She started it!" and "It wasn't my fault, Alfred!", "They were defective balloons anyway!" or even "I was gonna do it, but then she- -".

"Enough," Alfred sternly stopped their babbling as he set the cake down on the coffee table in front of me. "Both of you will take care of the dishes after the party."

Slouching in defeat, Ally and Kayla glared at each other before silently retreating to the other couch, letting Bruce sit on the other side of me, setting a gift down on the floor. He was doing his best to keep a laugh behind his lips, obviously amused by my friends antics.

I turned to Rachel and smiled.

"It's OK, Rachel," I replied. "I'm already having a good birthday."

"I'm glad, sweetheart," Rachel smiled, kissing the top of my head.

"Miss Sarah," Alfred looked at me with a grin as he finished lighting the candles. "Are you ready to make a wish?"

"Wait, Alfred!" Celia stood up excitedly. "I wanna take a picture."

Alfred just chuckled as he waited for Celia to get her camera out. After she was ready, she gave us all the thumbs up to go ahead.

With smiles on their faces, everyone started singing "Happy Birthday" for me while I got ready to blow out the candles on my birthday cake. Embraced by both of them, I sat between Rachel and Bruce, feeling a sense of love spread.

From behind me, I felt Bruce's hand grasp Rachel's lovingly while she pushed my hair back behind my shoulders.

The song ended, and I closed my eyes for a second, preparing to blow out the candles. Rachel gave me a kiss on the cheek as I heard Celia's camera take a picture.

"Make a wish, hon," she encouraged.

What exactly could I wish for? What did I want most in the world? I was already surrounded by people who loved and cared for me.

The only thing that could make it complete was...

...I know what I want to wish for.

Silently making the wish, I gave a soft blow, almost whistling, and blew out all thirteen candles in one breath.

* * *

Apart from the cake, opening birthday presents was always the best part.

Surrounded by my friends and loved ones, everyone watched as I ripped wrapping paper off of my gifts for the past half hour. Each present seemed more awesome than the last.

Ally got me a few items of clothes that, though they were a bit trendy for my taste, I absolutely adored. Among them was a Calvin Klein pink leather jacket that hadn't even hit the stores yet. It fit like a glove and I felt absolutely empowered when I wore it.

Nathan wasn't at the birthday party, but he did send a gift with his sister to give me. Ally said that he wanted to make sure that he made it himself and was so proud about it. With the help of his Mr. Farris and his computer skills, the 9-year-old boy had crafted a small comic about his adventures at Gotham City Private with me, Ally, and Kayla as crime fighters and Celia as a computer geek that helped us out. He was very creative.

Kayla had admitted to trying and failing for the past month to mooch off her cousins or Celia on getting me a present, so she got creative as well- - A homemade coupon book that had "No Pranks For A Day" passes. Of course, she said that I couldn't use them consecutively, and they were invalid during Gym and English classes...

Celia said she was still working on a scrapbook for me and was still collecting pictures. It would be ready for me in less than a week. Until then, she was taking pictures of the birthday party.

Rachel gave me a snow globe with a small scale version of Gotham City inside. She knew how much I loved the city during wintertime. It was such a precious gift, and I loved it so much immediately when I saw it.

She also said that Harvey Dent wanted to give me something as well, but he couldn't figure out what and he was busy with getting Lau to testify in court against the mob. I ended up not receiving a present from the District Attorney.

Somehow, I felt no real loss there.

Alfred, being the sweet soul that he was, said that he tried so hard to find a birthday present for me, but everything had gotten so hectic in the household lately, that it slipped his mind. I told him that I didn't want him to give me a gift because he gave me so much already.

When everything was done, my friends and I ran upstairs to my room, getting ready to listen to the new Avril Lavigne CD that Rachel had bought me. Bruce, Alfred, and Rachel stayed downstairs and cleaned everything up in the living room, but the dishes would still be down there for Ally and Kayla to take care of when it was time.

For now, we just wanted to hang out in my room, talking to each other without the interruption of grown ups. There were more gifts for me to open that laid in a box by my door, but I wanted to wait until later to open them. Besides, those birthday presents came from people who didn't really matter, like businessmen who worked with my godfather.

After we turned on the stereo, "Rock N' Roll" blaring through the speakers, all of us piled onto my bed, Celia taking a group photo of all of us. We were smiling and laughing with each other as we relaxed, the days events having exhausted us in a good way.

"Guys," I said, sitting up from my bed. "This is probably one of the best birthdays I've ever had."

"It should be," Kayla remarked. "We went through all the trouble of setting up a party for you."

"Well, we did," Celia pointed to herself and Ally. "Kayla just spent most of her time looking for where Alfred hid the snack cake jar."

I just laughed a little bit, the image of Kayla digging through the pantry for where Alfred hid all the good stuff. Besides, she'd never find it again after last night. Alfred always has a better hiding place than the last.

Considering Kayla's multiple attempts to get at it, he probably hid it in the Bunker.

"So we got the results of our Science test back," Ally exclaimed happily. "All of passed, so Ms. Carmichael says we're going to the Museum tomorrow as a treat."

"Nice," I grinned. "That means I don't have to start lunch detention until Thursday."

"Oh," Kayla got up, going through my CD's next to my stereo. "That's a different story. All the ones who have to serve detention have to write a one page paper while we're there. We have to use our textbooks, too, as resources."

I made a face at that. Usually, the students who had detention during school hours and were going on a field trip were put in a group together. That meant I had to spend this surprise field trip with Haley Kingston.

"That reminds me," Kayla continued. "Sarah, can you share your Science book with me tomorrow?"

"Kay," I used one of Kayla's nicknames, tired of her excuses. "You have one of your own. Use yours."

"I told you guys! I can't find it!"

"That's the same excuse you use when you wanna look off answers to our homework," Ally rolled her eyes, getting off the bed to take a look at the box full of my other birthday presents.

"OK," Kayla held up her hands defensively. "Maybe I do use that excuse a lot, and I'm lying when I use it, but- -You guys, I swear, I can't find my textbook."

"Uh-huh," Celia giggled in an unbelieving tone. "Sure Kay-Kay. Whichever story you wanna stick with.

"Come on, guys," Kayla grew desperate for us to believe her.

"Hey," Ally called us from where the box of presents was. "Sarah, who sent you this?"

"Sent me what?" I asked, trying to stop giggling at Kayla's excuses.

"This."

All of us looked to where Ally was, and the smiles slowly left our faces. The laughter quickly died, and suspicion and fear took over my bedroom. Resting in my best friends hands was a birthday present.

The reason we all stopped laughing and having fun was because we all saw what it looked like. It was wrapped in wrinkled newspaper pages from The Gotham Times, and tied with a ratty looking purple bow.

My heart slowly sunk when I realized that it was very possible that this gift came from the Joker...

Kayla turned off the stereo for us so we could all focus better. Celia rushed to the door, making sure it was closed and locked so no adults would come and see what was going on. In hindsight, that was probably a bad idea. When something like this happens, it's always a good idea to go get a grown-up to help you out.

But when you're a kid that's our age, you tend to want to take care of things yourself. Sometimes, you don't say anything at all to the adults in hopes that the problem will just fix itself and go away. Or maybe you think that there is not fixing these things, no matter what the good guys say and do.

Right now, I kind of in between those two reasons as I stood up from my bed and walked slowly to Ally, her hands trembling a little as she held this "gift".

"Is it from him?" Celia asked, standing near the door as far away us from possible, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

I closed my eyes for a second. Poor Celia. I made a promise to myself and to her that I would not have any mention of The Joker near her to keep her safe. I didn't want him to be part of this day.

But it looked like The Joker was not going to let me forget that he even existed. Not even today.

Opening my eyes again, I let out a deep and slow, quivering breath, trying to calm myself, taking the gift from Ally, and moved to untie the tattered purple ribbon.

"Are you crazy?" Ally whispered fearfully. "Don't open it! It could be a bomb or something!"

"...Something bad will happen anyway if I don't," I whispered back, pulling off the ribbon.

Carefully, I unwrapped the newspaper off of the gift. I took it off slowly, almost as if I was trying to stall whatever darkness would come out of the box. All of us stood in my room with bated breath.

Once I took the lid off, the object inside baffled us all...

"Kayla..." Ally started slowly. "...Is that your Science textbook?"

Puzzled, I took out the Science textbook with trembling hands. Indeed, it did belong to Kayla. There was no mistaking it. The corners were damaged enough that we saw the cardboard, and Kayla's infamous skull and cross-bones drawings scattered themselves among the front of the book.

"It is," Kayla confirmed softly.

"I thought you said you lost it," Ally's fear was slowly turning to anger.

"I did. I swear."

"_**Then how the hell did he get it**_?!"

It wasn't like Ally to swear. But given the events last night and the last two minutes that took place, I didn't blame her. She didn't mean to be angry at her cousin.

She was just scared.

We were _all_ scared.

I glanced at Celia as we waited for Kayla to answer. She was trying so hard to stay calm that she had backed herself into a corner of my room, her face turned away from the scene.

What was I going to do?"

"...Wait a minute," Kayla said, starting to remember something. "The last time I saw it, I was putting it in my locker before lunch...I forgot to spin the lock- -I was running late to detention."

"He's been in the school," I finally spoke up, worried.

"Oh my g- -," Ally put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from freaking out before she continued. "How did he get in the school in the first place?! He can't have just walked in looking the way he does. Someone had to have seen him."

"...He could have a spy," I thought out loud so more. "...Or..." My eyes widened at another possibility. "He could've had someone take it while everyone was at lunch. While everyone was distracted by the fake Batman's death."

"You think he used him as a distraction?" Kayla asked, a little afraid.

"It's possible."

"Wait," Ally bent down to the floor. "Something fell out of the book."

As Ally came back up, she held something in her hand- -A playing card. I knew exactly what kind of card it was, too. The Joker had left something similar with me last night in the Mirror Maze Fun-House at Amusement Mile. I took the card quickly, and read the message that I knew would be on there.

**HAVE FUN AT THE MUSEUM...**

...Oh no...He couldn't be planning something...He _couldn't_.

"Sarah..." Ally asked. "What does it say?"

I couldn't tell Ally, Kayla, and Celia. They'd all freak out if I told them that the Joker was planning on doing something at the Museum tomorrow. And then they wouldn't want to go. I don't even want to go. Yet, somehow, I knew deep down that if I didn't show up, then the Joker would do something else.

And it would be far worse than the plan he had in mind for the Museum.

Before I could lie to my friends, a knock sounded at my door, causing Celia to jump and back away from it. By instinct, I pushed the malicious gift under my bed, hiding it from whoever was at the door.

"Miss Farris," Alfred's voice sounded outside the door. "Miss March. Come on downstairs to the kitchen and do the dishes before you have to leave."

Without even skipping a beat, Ally and Kayla quickly walked out of my bedroom to obey Alfred, wanting to get as far away as possible from Joker's maniacal present.

That just left Celia and I alone.

Trying to catch my breath, I looked at my streaky purple-haired friend. She was doing her best to not be terrified of what was going on. There was no way she could've saw what the card said from where she was standing, but there was no mistaking that she knew what this mad man had wanted to say in his message.

I did my best to try and smile at her, but I couldn't. A smile meant that everything was going to be all right soon. I couldn't do that to Celia like that when she's feeling so frightened; it would be a lie.

And it would be a lie to me, because I didn't know what was going to happen either.

I can't tell Bruce. He'll get all over-protective again and go to the extreme to ensure my safety as well as everyone else's. He'd tell the school to call the whole thing off and word would get out that he was the one responsible. The Joker could put two and two together and easily discover that he was Batman.

No...I wouldn't tell Bruce.

"I'm gonna do something about this," I declared softly, more to myself than to Celia.

"...What are you gonna do?" Celia asked.

"...Don't worry...I've got a few ideas."

* * *

It seemed that I was developing a habit of breaking the rules lately, and I was about to break the biggest one of them all.

I was going to sneak into the Bunker.

That wasn't the only rule I was breaking, and it wasn't even the biggest.

The biggest rule I was going to break was messing around with the gadgets my godfather used as Batman.

And I wasn't going to be just messing around with them...I was going to take them.

Please know that I had to do this for my friends safety. I have to protect them. I just knew that the Joker was going to attack in broad daylight. There'd be no way for the Batman to come get us.

I just hope that Bruce doesn't get mad...

Although, I had a feeling that if he knew why, he'd understand. He had understood before. What reason do I have to think otherwise?

I snuck to Bruce's room around one in the morning. It was perfect because Bruce was already out on patrol. He wouldn't be back for another hour or so.

An hour was all I needed.

Alfred was already asleep down the hallway. Despite his government training in his younger years, he was a heavy sleeper in his old age. I might as well run up and down the hallway with music turned all the way up, and he'd still be out like a light.

Using Bruce's secret passageway with the code he had given me for emergencies, I walked down the dark pathway to the elevator in nothing but my navy pajama set, an empty backpack over my shoulder and a flashlight.

My heart was beating so hard. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Me! Of all people! I was the one that always followed the rules!

But this time, things were changing.

I was changing.

I didn't like it, but I had deal with it.

So did Bruce.

After using the elevator to go down below the ground of Downtown Gotham, and walking down the short path, I finally reached the Bunker. The lights turned on, sensing my presence once more.

Then, I got to work. I had to hurry in case Bruce decided to call it a night and come home early.

Quickly rushing to the desk where the computer monitors were, I pressed one of the buttons that opened a secret shelved panel from the wall behind me. Once that started to open, I briskly walked towards it, trying to decide what gadgets I might need for tomorrow.

These were special gadgets, ones that Fox said were still in prototype stage. Bruce hadn't used them yet in the past year. There's no way he'd notice they were missing- - At least, not before I had to go to school.

I also had to get ones that I knew how to use. Over the Summer, Fox told me the use of most of them. He said that some of them were so easy to handle, that even a small toddler could use them.

Let's see...

The first thing I grabbed was a set of lock picks. I don't know what I could use them for, but they'd be handy just in case.

Smoke pellets: I could use them for distractions and escape.

Grapnel gun: You never knew if you had to get away from someone by going to a high place where they can't get you.

A cryptographic sequencer: The Museum was full of state-of-the-art security systems supplied by the Tech department at Wayne Enterprises. There was no doubt in my mind that Joker was going to use those to shut down certain parts of the Museum, like the exit doors. If that happened, I'd prepared.

Finally, a line launcher: Who knew if I to quickly get from one side of the room to the other without being noticed.

I think that was all I needed, so I quickly zipped up my backpack and headed back to the secret door where I would return to the Penthouse unnoticed.

As the lights dimmed and the secret wall panel closed once more, I hoped to myself that I wouldn't have to use these tomorrow.

I hoped more that Bruce would never find out and be angry.

But if the Joker was true about how he was a man of his word, and he did come to the Museum during our field trip...

...Then I'd be ready.

* * *

**_(A/N: Bruce: "Well look who finally decided to show up! What kept you?!"_**

**_Author: "Chill out Wayne. I had work and filming. I spent all weekend covering Comic-Con."_**

**_Bruce: *folds arms* "I'm gonna need a better excuse than that. And don't tell me you were making out again. That summer romance of yours is long dead."_**

**_Author: "I've got two words for you Wayne: Celebrity. Interviews. I finally got one."_**

**_Bruce: "Yeah? I've got two words for you: Fall. Semester. School's started up again! You had four months to work on this!"_**

**_Author: "And now I've got a writing schedule planned. This year's gonna be different. I can feel it."_**

**_Bruce: "Not with you setting up a news internship program for your school! You're killing me here!"_**

**_Author: "Oh you'll get over it. I bet you 10 bucks I'll update next Friday, even with my busy schedule."_**

**_Bruce: "Easiest 10 bucks I'll ever get..." *to reviewers* "All right, everyone. Review please for the one who had the geekiest summer of her life. And hurry up please. She's getting on my nerves."_**

**_***This chapter is dedicated to my four-year-old-cousin, Kate. _**

**_Dearest Kate, I never knew I could love someone so much upon first meeting them until I met you. Your mother and my mother both say that we look so much alike that we compared pictures- - the resemblance is uncanny. And there seems to be something genetic about the young women in our family and certain superheroes. I was about your age when Batman became my hero, and it was so surreal to watch you discover the mask I hid in my bedroom and become so excited. I'll never forget how I headed out the door to run an errand and you said for me to "Watch out for the bad bats, but you can be friends with the good ones." Sweet Kate...I'm already friends with the good ones, just like you are. Batman was my imaginary friend, too. But now he guards over you. If he wasn't, then I wouldn't see the spirit and can-do attitude I see in you._**

**_Don't worry...Your adventures with the Dark Knight will come soon. I promise._**

**_I love you so much, my sweet little Bat.)_**


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